Robot navigation using velocity potential fields and particle filters for obstacle avoidance

Autonomous robots are required to avoid the obstacles during navigation. For this purpose unknown and unexpected obstacles have to be detected during motion. The proposed approach uses particle filters to process sensors data and estimate relative position of the robot with regard to the obstacles and to the goal. These relative position estimations are inputs to the velocity potential field approach for obtaining time varying velocity commands for the robot to avoid all obstacles and reach the goal.