Fuzzy logic controllers design for omnidirectional mobile robot navigation

This paper presents a new design approach for an intelligent navigation algorithm for omnidirectional mobile robots. Unlike the previous works dealing with the navigation of omnidirectional robots that are focused on only the estimation of the final position, the main contribution of the present study is summed up in the fact that the robot has to reach the final desired position with a predefined final steering angle. This latter improvement is a part of researches carried out on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Taking into consideration the drawbacks of proportional integral (PI) control when applied to omnidirectional robot navigation, we develop an approach to design a fuzzy logic PI controller (Fuzzy-PI). Preliminary simulation and experimental results using the Fuzzy- PI controller have shown limitations as the robot performed a larger path when the desired final angle increased. Thus, a deepen study have concluded that the Fuzzy- PI system cannot control at the same time the linear and angular velocities. To overcome these drawbacks, we propose to replace the previous intelligent navigation system by two independent controllers. The designed Fuzzy- PI controllers can adjust their parameters (K-P, K-I) to reduce the error caused by the dynamic changes and navigation challenges of omnidirectional robot. A navigation algorithm cannot be efficient without obstacle avoidance system. To achieve this goal, we have developed a third fuzzy controller to fulfill this task. To evaluate the real performances of fuzzy controllers for navigation and obstacles avoidance, simulation and experimental tests are performed for one, two and three obstacles. The obtained results confirm that the omnidirectional robot could navigate in an unstructured and unknown obstacles environment with better performances and efficiency. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.