Real-time path planning using harmonic potentials in dynamic environments

Motivated by fluid analogies, artificial harmonic potentials can eliminate local minima problems in robot path planning. In this paper, simple analytical solutions to planar harmonic potentials are derived using tools from fluid mechanics, and are applied to two-dimensional planning among multiple moving obstacles. These closed-form solutions enable real-time computation to be readily achieved.

Authors

• Hans Jacob S. Feder
• Jean-Jacques E. Slotine

Keywords

• Path planning
• Fluid dynamics
• Orbital robotics
• Aerodynamics
• Robots
• Closed-form solution
• Laplace equations
• Fluid flow
• Jacobian matrices
• Nonlinear systems
• Dynamic Environment
• Harmonic Potential
• Real-time Path Planning
• Local Minima
• Analytical Solutions
• Fluid Mechanics
• Robot Motion
• Robot Path
• Coordinate System
• Flow Velocity
• Approximate Solution
• Uniform Field
• Objective Space
• Environmental Planning
• Object Boundaries
• Laplace Equation
• Uniform Flow
• Goal Position
• Velocity Potential
• Panel Method
• Potential Flow
• Region C
• Circular Cylinder
• Local Extrema
• Part Of Goal
• Stream Function