Reactive trajectory generation in an unknown environment
Kenan Cole, Adam M. Wickenheiser · 2017
Autonomous trajectory generation for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in unknown environments continues to be an important research area as UAVs become more prolific. In this paper, we develop a trajectory generation algorithm for a vehicle in an unknown environment with wind disturbances, that relies only on the vehicle's on-board distance sensors and communication with other vehicles within a finite region to generate a smooth, collision-free trajectory. The proposed trajectory generation algorithm can be used in conjunction with high-level planners and low-level motion controllers, as demonstrated. The algorithm provides guarantees that the trajectory does not violate the vehicle's thrust limitation, sensor constraints, or a user-defined clearance radius around other vehicles and obstacles. Simulation results of two quadrotors moving through an unknown building environment with obstacles demonstrates the trajectory generation performance.