Streamline-based obstacle avoidance for mobile robot with curvature constraints

The harmonic potential field (HPF) is efficient for mobile robots to generate smooth path without local minima for obstacle avoidance. We implemented the integration of the pure pursuit algorithm and HPF-based streamline paths compatible with the curvature constraint to develop an obstacle avoidance system. The system has been demonstrated works well in an environment with sparsely distributed circular obstacles that make possible the search of streamlines with curvatures within the vehicle's nonholonomic constraint. This paper provides further details and comparisons with some of the existing fluid-based path planning approaches in cluttered environment with multiple circular obstacles.