ROBOTICS

Topic: Metric Path Planning

Presented by
Prakash Thirandasu
22B81A0902
M. Tech-AI
CSE Dept

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1. Objectives and Overview
2. Configuration Space
3. Cspace Representations
a. Meadow maps
b. Generalized Voronoi graphs
c. Regular grids
d. Quadtrees
4. Graph Based Planners
5. Wavefront Based Planners
6. Interleaving Path Planning and Reactive Execution

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Objectives

 Define Cspace, path relaxation, digitization bias, subgoal obsession,

termination condition

 Explain the difference between graph and wavefront planners

 Represent an indoor environment with a GVG, a regular grid, or a

quadtree, and create a graph suitable for path planning

 Apply wavefront propagation

 Explain the differences between continuous and event-driven

replanning

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Navigation

• Where am I going?
Mission planning
• What’s the best way

deliberative
there? Path planning Carto- Mission
• Where have I been?
grapher Planner
Map making
• Where am I?
Localization

How am I going to get there? Behaviors

reactive
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Overview

• Metric Path Planning vs Topological Methods

— Metric methods generally favor techniques which produce an optimal according
to some measure of best.

— While the later produce a route with identifiable landmarks

— Metrics Decompose the path into sub-goals consisting of way-points. E.g.

coordinates( x, y )

— Topological focuses on subgoals which are gateways

— Metric methods are compatible with deliberation while Topological are compatible
with reactive

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Overview

Metric Path Planners have two components

1. Representation : salient features, relevant configuration
SpacePopular: Regular grids

2. Algorithm: two types

a. those which treat path planning as a graph search problem
b. graphics coloring problem.

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Overview
Path
Planning

Qualitative Metric

Distinctive Associative A* Search Wavefront

Places: use methods Propagation
graph search

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Configuration Space (Cspace)

–Transform space into a representation suitable for robots,

simplifying assumptions

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Major Cspace Representations

• Idea: reduce physical space to a cspace

representation which is more amenable for storage in
computers and for rapid execution of algorithms

• Major types
–Meadow Maps
–Generalized Voronoi Graphs (GVG)
–Regular grids, quadtrees

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Meadow Maps
Example of the basic procedure of transforming world space to cspace
Step 1 (optional): grow obstacles as big as robot
Step 2: Construct convex polygons as line segments between pairs of corners, edges –
Why convex polygons? Interior has no obstacles so can safely transit (“freeway”, “free
space”) –Oops, not necessarily unique set of polygons

Step 1 Step 2 10
Generalized Voronoi Graphs
• Create lines equidistant from objects and walls,
• Intersections of lines are nodes
• Result is a relational graph

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Graph Based Planners
Graph-based planners use a planning graph to guide their search for a plan. The graph-based planning algorithm
starts with a partial plan and a set of neighbors.

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Wavefront Based Planners
The Wavefront Planner is a common algorithm that finds the shortest path between two points. It's a breadth-first

search (BFS) on a graph that's induced by the adjacency of cells.

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 Spatial Memory

• What’s the Best Way There? depends on the representation of

the world

• A robot’s world representation and how it is maintained over

time is its spatial memory
— Attention
— Reasoning
— Path planning
— Information collection
• Two forms
— Route (or qualitative)
— Layout (or metric)
• Layout leads to Route, but not the other way

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Representing Area/Volume in Path Planning

In Quantitative or metric maps:

— Rep: Many different ways to represent an area or volume of
space
• Looks like a “bird’s eye” view, position & viewpoint
independent

— Algorithms
• Graph or network algorithms
• Wavefront or graphics-derived algorithms

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Metric Maps
• Motivation for having a metric map is often path
planning (others include reasoning about space…)

• Determine a path from one point to goal

— Generally interested in “best” or “optimal”

— What are measures of best/optimal?
— Relevant: occupied or empty

• Path planning assumes an a priori map of relevant

aspects
 Only as good as last time map was updated

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Interleaving Path Planning and Reactive Execution

• Graph-based planners generate a path and subpaths or subsegments

• Recall Non-Holonomic Constraints (NHC) , Autonomous Robot

Architecture (AuRA)
–Pilot looks at current subpath, instantiates behaviors to get from current
location to subgoal

• When the robot tries to reach a subgoal, it may exhibit subgoal obsession due to
an encoder error - it is necessary to allow a tolerance corresponding usually to +/-
width of robot

• What happens if a goal is blocked? - need a Termination condition, e.g. deadline

What happens if a robot avoiding an obstacle is now closer to the next subgoal?

- it would be good to use an opportunistic replanning

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THANKS

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