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Guidelines for drawing VISIBILITY GRAPH in a terrain for a finite width robot

1. Keep the scale for X-axis and Y-axis same. This way a circles and squares will NOT be
distorted and circles can be easily drawn with compass. [ Selecting different scales for X
and Y will reduce marks]
2. Draw the terrain.
3. Draw the cross sections of obstacles.
4. If regular polygons are given take special care to draw them properly. Improper depiction
will reduce marks.
5. Draw envelopes for all the obstacles. Envelopes are similar shaped polygons enclosing the
obstacles In a uniform way. Robot stopping at the edge of the envelope will NOT be
damaged and it would be able to deliver tools to the obstacle’s edge.
a. If the obstacle’s cross section is a triangle with sizes a,b and c – the envelope will be
another similar triangle with sides parallel to all the three sides and dimensions
a+2w, b+ 2w and c+2w [ w is the width of the robot]
b. If the obstacle’s cross section is a square with side a, the envelope will be another
square with size a+2w
c. If the obstacle’s cross section is a rectangle with length l and breadth b, the
envelope will be another rectangle with length l+2w and breadth b+2w
d. If the obstacle’s cross section is a circle with radius r, the envelope will be another
circle having same centre as the obstacle and radius r+w
e. If the obstacle’s cross section is a regular polygon of size a with a central point X, the
envelope will be another regular polygon with the same centre and size a+2w
6. After drawing these envelopes locate the intermediate points to be visited by the robot. If
the point to be visited is P1(a,b), the equivalent point to be reached by the robot is (a-w,b)
and (a,b-w). In this way, the robot will NOT be damaged and it will be able to deliver tools at
P1(a,b)
7. Calculate all the equivalent points to be reached by the robot
8. Start from the starting point and draw straight lines to reach equivalent points.
9. If the next equivalent point is NOT VISIBLE, you can move in X or Y direction till the next
equivalent point is visible. You can ALSO MOVE in a transverse direction of any angle
WITHOUT cutting an envelope [ Cutting the envelope means robot will hit the obstacle
damaging itself – this will reduce marks]. Transverse direction of any angle could be chosen
if it reduces the length of the final path.
10. Finally specify the path A – P1-P2 – P3 – P4-Z where P1,P2,P3 and P4 are the equivalent
points and A is a source point and Z is THE EQUIVALENT POINT of TARGET, [ Remember if
you reach the equivalent point of final target, that itself means Z wlll be reached.