Clothoidal Curve-based Path Generation for an Autonomous Mobile Robot

A new path generating method for mobile robots which is equipped with an omni-directional camera and a laser rangefinder is presented. The omni-directional camera can be used for environmental recognition, and can capture 360-degree images without a dead angle. The laser rangefinder is capable of detecting range profiles that can accurately identify the distance of obstacles. This information can be used for smooth path generation. Here, in order to achieve smooth path generation, we applied omni-directional image and laser range profile data to generate an appropriate path by using a clothoid. The curvature and its derivative are estimated by a segmented Hough transform, and path points are generated based on the Delaunay triangulation method. The path generated by the clothoid minimizes the effect of lateral force on the passenger. The validity of the proposed method is verified by simulations