A new fuzzy speed planning method for safe navigation

This paper introduces a new speed planning strategy for autonomous navigation. Speed planning can be done considering lots of parameters using offline path planning strategies. However, in an obstacle avoidance scenario, which can be thought of as a dynamic path planning, avoidance strategy must work fast. That is why previous strategies generally concentrate only on steering maneuvers for obstacle avoidance. This paper concentrates on the speed planning part of the obstacle avoidance strategy. To this aim, a new fuzzy approach is developed for on-line speed planning with its purely reactive nature. Methodic simulations are carried out to verify and demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method over previous methods. The maneuver strategy for obstacle avoidance is the artificial potential field method.