Simulation and Analysis of the Movement of a Group of Mobile Robots in ROS

Abstract

The paper presents a simulation of a group movement of mobile robots in absence of obstacles in ROS and a kinematics model of the mobile robots used in the simulation. Three types of motion behavior of the mobile robots in a group were considered. First, the authors achieved a synchronization of the mobile robots in a group using the centralized method, which requires a control center, and the decentralized method, in which the mobile robots in a group communicate with each other. Second, the authors simulated movement of four mobile robots in Zhukov forms, when each robot was controlled according to the relative position of the two neighboring robots. Different trajectories of the mobile robots were obtained depending on the selected control parameters. The authors analyzed the relation between the control parameters and the resulting trajectories. Finally, the authors simulated movement of a group of the mobile robots in a convoy type of formation. Three different control algorithms were considered. The authors analyzed and compared the trajectories of the mobile robots moving in the convoy type of formation using three different control algorithms. The advantages and disadvantages of the three control algorithms were presented. The authors discussed a range of problems, which could be encountered when conducting physical experiments, for example, communication between the robots, the process of localization of the mobile robots in a group, and the impact of a sensor noise.