Obstacle Avoidance Behavior for a Biologically-inspired Robot Using Binaural Ultrasonic Sensors

Many untethered mobile robots require an operator´s vision and intelligence for guidance and navigation. Animals and insects, however, use sensory systems such as hearing, and tactile inputs to move autonomously through their environment. This paper discusses the implementation of a simple binaural sensory pod using an ultrasonic emitter and two receivers on a mobile robot that employs legged-style locomotion. A series of obstacle avoidance behaviors programmed onto a microcontroller allow the robot is to successfully navigate a cluttered environment both semi-autonomously and autonomously.