Ultrasonic echo simulator for mobile robots

This paper introduces an environment modeling tool for ultrasonic echo generation based on the theory of solid modeling. The utilization of ultrasonic sensors in mobile robots for the purpose of navigation and obstacle avoidance when a mobile robot is moving along a desired path is discussed. Until now the ring configuration, in which many ultrasonic sensors are used, has given good results. The ring configuration is easy to operate but it is not compact, so a more compact ultrasonic sensor system with a sensor coupled to a stepping motor has been simulated and built. The sensor must have intelligence to know in which direction it must send out a wave in order to receive one echo from the environment. By using the simulation it is possible to test rules that provide intelligence to the sensor, making it an effective active sensor