Path Planning with Power Schedules for Solar-Powered Ground Robot
Nathaniel Kingry, Kishan Patel · Iowa State University Digital Repository (Iowa State University) · 2015
This Research examines an integrated path planning and power management problem for a solarpowered unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The proposed method seeks to minimize the travel time of the UGV through a given static area by both designing an optimal path and allocating the obtained power among the electrical components. Two types of path planes are examined in this research: a differential drive and pseudo-dubins. The UGV is operating under strict power constraints while harvesting ambient environmental energy along the designed path. A scalar field is first established to evaluate the solar radiation density at discrete locations. A modified Particle Swarm Optimization method is applied to search for a minimal time path wherein the energy gathered is equal to or greater than the energy expended. The proposed modeling and optimization strategy is verified through computer simulation and test bed demonstration. Current and future work is also examined in the areas of a continuous smooth curve and alternative methods of capturing the solar density that will potential allow for constant updating and dynamic area path planning.