Implementation of Modified Tangent Bug Navigation Algorithm for Front Wheel Steered and Differential-Drive Robots
Sofia Yousuf, Muhammad Bilal Kadri · 2020
In this paper, the Tangent Bug algorithm has been studied and implemented for navigating a robot towards the desired destination. The navigation environment consists of the convex and concave obstacles in the robot's path. The Tangent Bug algorithm is implemented for both the Front Wheel Steered (Ackermann) as well as differential drive (Pioneer P3-DX) robots. For simulation purpose, the built-in robot models in Virtual Robotic Experimentation Platform (V-REP) are used. For obstacle detection, the Ackermann and Pioneer robot models are equipped with Hokuyu Laser Scanner URG-04LX-UG01 characterized by a finite scan area of 240 degrees with an angular resolution of 0.36 degrees and a maximum detection range of 4 meters approx. To evaluate the performance of Tangent Bug algorithm using both Front Wheel Steered and Differential-Drive robots, experiments were carried out in MATLAB and V-REP Platform. A separate MATLAB script was written to interface MATLAB with V-REP software utilizing various MATLAB Remote API functions. The simulation results show that the two robots navigate towards the desired goal position successfully avoiding all the obstacles in their path.