Proceedings of the 2012 2nd International Conference on Computer and Information Application (ICCIA 2012)

Complete Coverage Path Planning and Obstacle Avoidance Strategy of the Robot

JunHui Wu, TongDi Qin Jie Chen, HuiPing Si, KaiYan Lin
Institute of Modern Agricultural Science & Engineering Institute of Modern Agricultural Science & Engineering
Tongji University Tongji University
4800 Caoan Hwy, Jiading, Shanghai, P.R. China 4800 Caoan Hwy, Jiading, Shanghai, P.R. China
E-mail: junhui_wu@163.com E-mail: chenjie18@yahoo.com.cn
qintongdi@yahoo.cn sihuiping@tongji.edu.cn
ky.lin@163.com
Qiang Zhou ChiBin Zhang
Shanghai Urban Green Engineering Co., Ltd Institute of Mechanical Engineering
1688 Jianchuan Hwy, Shanghai, P.R. China Southeast University
E-mail: zhou.qiang@dushigreen.com 79 Suyuan Hwy, Jiangning, Nanjing, P.R. China
corresponding author E-mail: chibinzhang@yahoo.com.cn

Abstract—In order to solve the problems of complete coverage

unreachable region SΔ={x,y | ocup(x,y)= 1} ⊆ S, and SΩ∩SΔ
path and obstacle avoidance with the mobile robot, the
complete coverage planning was described first, and then the
algorithm of the complete coverage path planning was = 0，and SΩ∪SΔ= S.
analyzed. The complete traversal algorithm and the obstacle If the plane mobile robot is equivalent to a particle, then
avoidance strategy of the robot around the barrier were put the traversal is a continuous path that the particle can
forward. Finally, the traversal control flow chart of the continuously move and go through all the points in SΩ. And
traversal robot implemented in Single Chip Microcomputer the path is called feasible traversal trajectory, all of which are
(SCM) was obtained. After the above analysis, the algorithm called feasible traversal trajectory cluster, which are
was simple, practical, and low repeatability, and high expressed by the following formula:
{ }
L  = li ( x, y, xs , ys , xg , y g )
efficiency. The algorithms could effectively solve the difficulty
of complete coverage path and obstacle avoidance with the ( i = 1, 2...n )
robot.
Where (xs , ys) and (xg , yg) is the start and end coordinate
Keywords—complete coverage path planning; obstacle values of the robot, and (x, y), (xs , ys), (xg , yg) ⊆ S.
avoidance strategy; the traversal robot; algorithm analysis;
control flow chart B. The Performance Indicators of the Complete Coverage
Planning
I. INTRODUCTION The common performance evaluation indicators of the
complete coverage path planning of mobile robot are
The problems of path planning and obstacle avoidance coverage area percentage and coverage overlapping rate.
have been a hot issue in the research of the intelligent mobile S is the entire working space of the mobile robot, and SΩ
robot [1-5]. Obstacle avoidance is taking avoidance (to
is the reachable region, and Shc is the coverage area, and
prevent collision) strategy when the robot moves along its
working path. It is mainly aimed at the obstacle and the local Scc is the iterate coverage area. 1) Coverage area percentage
environment of robot [6-7]. The complete coverage path Jhc refers to the percentage of the coverage area and the area
planning algorithm of the mobile robot would be studied of reachable region when the coverage of robot along
systematically, and then the obstacle avoidance of the feasible trajectory lines has already completed. 2) The
complete coverage path planning algorithm would be coverage overlapping rate refers to the percentage of all the
explored. coverage overlapping area and reachable area.
Jhc = Shc / SΩ (1)
II. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPLETE COVERAGE Jcc=Scc / SΩ (2)
PLANNING Juc =1- Jhc (3)
There must be a certain degree of overlap among
A. The Mathematical Description of the Traversal adjacent coverage region in order to avoid coverage blind
Planning spot, apparently, the smaller of overlap region the better. But
Complete coverage path planning is a special path due to the systematic errors, positioning error, the control
planning, set S={x,y | x,y is the point surrounded by a closed accuracy and the environment of the robot, the overlapping
curve, that is, the entire range of the robot motion}. area can not be too small. The uncovering area percentage Juc
can be inferred from coverage overlapping rate, which refers
Definition 1: reachable region SΩ={x,y | ocup(x,y)= 0} ⊆ S, to the percentage of the uncovering area and the area of
and ocup(x,y) is the possession function, the value is 0 when reachable region when the traversal of the robot along
barrier-free, and is 1 when there is an obstacle; Definition 2:

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 Proceedings of the 2012 2nd International Conference on Computer and Information Application (ICCIA 2012)

feasible trajectory lines has already completed. The higher environment parameters of the whole room are obtained,
the performance of the robot, the higher the coverage area when the wall is as a reference.
percentage; The lower the coverage overlapping rate, the The traversal robot must determine its starting point
better the coverage effect. The coverage overlapping rate and (temporary origin), after completing the action "along the
the uncovering area are combined to evaluate the complete wall".
coverage path planning. For the setting of temporary origin, as long as it is
located on the path of walking along the wall, and the
III. COMPLETE COVERAGE PATH PLANNING AROUND THE
traveling status of the robot has reached stability. As shown
BARRIER BASED ON GRID MAPS
in Fig.1, "---" is on behalf of the entire process of walking
The ideas of complete coverage path planning based along the wall, and the starting point A is temporary origin.
around the barrier: (1) the parameters of the environmental
boundary were obtained, according to the perceptual system,
when the robot rounds along the environmental boundary. (2)
The robot does the coverage task from the starting point,
and first takes return traversal strategy based on the obstacle,
then rounds obstacles to cover uncovering area, and finally
reaches the purpose of covering all the area.
A. Classification of Obstacles
During the process of the entire path planning, the
obstacles are divided into three categories, the first category
is walls and obstacles which is close to the wall (on-wall
obstacles). As long as the distance of obstacles and walls
does not meet the minimum safety distance of the traversal
robot, the robot can not pass, which is handled by on-wall
Figure 1. Border learning of the robot
obstacles. As these obstacles constitute the main boundary
conditions (walls) and the additional boundary conditions
(on-wall obstacles) of the robot work environment, which is
classified as first class. The second category is the isolated
obstacle farther away from the wall and smaller than the
robot size, which is called the isolated obstacle. The third
category is obstacles far away from the wall and larger than
the robot size, which is called a general obstacle. Similarly,
when the distance between two obstacles so close that the
robot is unable to pass successfully, which is handled by an
obstacle.
Figure 2. Bow traversal mode
B. The Border Learning of the Traversal Robot (2) Border learning
The border learning of the robot refers that the traversal The traversal robot must first master the environmental
robot automatically finds the position of the wall, and situation in order to reasonably achieve the coverage path
achieves the moving action along the walls and recording planning. After selecting the temporary origin A, the
environmental parameters, such as environment size and on- traversal robot rounds the room a circle along the outer edge
wall obstacles. Finally, the robot chooses a corner as a of the walls and on-wall obstacles, in a clockwise direction.
starting point to cover. The parameters of the environment are automatically
(1) The achievement of walking along the wall recorded in accordance with the modeling method, and do
The robot is to achieve the path planning with a certain the environmental modeling. The process of border learning
regularity, and it is bound to select specific reference is the process of actually creating the environment boundary
coordinates. The ideal reference is the wall in the room map.
environment. The wall does not only have a good linear C. Complete Coverage the Path Planning and Algorithm
characteristic, while its distribution has a certain regularity. Analysis
Therefore, during the coverage path planning, the walls of
the room are selections as a basic reference for the entire The bow type traversal mode is shown in Fig.2.
two-dimensional spatial planning. Base points refer to the special points used to
Then, the robot must further determine the positional characterize the obstacles in the environment (a grid cell in
relationship between its own and the reference. Initial the grid method modeling).
position is close to the wall, and there is no obstacle
between the robot and the wall. One direction is selected to
complete the operation of the "along the wall". The

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 Proceedings of the 2012 2nd International Conference on Computer and Information Application (ICCIA 2012)

Subsequently, the robot continues to cover until it

encounters the obstacle 4, according to the formula (4),
selecting C as base point L(xc,yc), and then continues to
cover until it encounters point D suspected base point R of
the obstacle 4, according to the formula (5) to determine
whether the point D is base point R of obstacle 4, dividing
two cases discussed:
a) D is the base point R of the obstacle 4, and the robot
rounds along the obstacle 4 until the coordinates of the robot
meets xR≤xC ; then the point is the starting position, and
then covers to the positive direction of the Y-axis.
Figure 3. Classification of the environmental obstacles b) D is not a base point of obstacle 4, then the robot
would find the real R base point M of obstacle 4 in the
process of bypassing the obstacle 4, then back to the
suspected base point D, to continue the original traversal
until encounters the R base point M, then covers according
to the method of a).
The robot would be able to complete the coverage of the
entire environment. Fig.5 is the map of coverage path
planning of the traversal robot in the complex environments.

Figure 4. Environment layout of the traversal robot

It is not that each on-wall obstacle should select base
points, and obstacle 2 does not need to select base points (as
shown in Fig.3); For obstacle 1 and 3, base points R and L
by the formula (4) and (5) are selected. For isolated
obstacles and general obstacles, two base points R and L are
selected by the formula (4) and (5). Selecting the base points
of on-wall obstacles is finished in the process of border
learning, however, selecting base points of the isolated
obstacles is completed in the process of implementing
Figure 5. Complete coverage path planning
traversal task.
The experiments showed that the traversal algorithm was
For any one unit C(x,y) of obstacles, x1≤x≤x2, y1≤y simple, high efficiency, but certain requirements were
≤y2, proposed simultaneously to the traversal robot:
L(x,y)=min{y|C(x,y)x=x1} (4) a) The traversal algorithm required the robot to complete
R(x,y)=min{y|C(x,y)x=x2} (5) border learning, that is, rounding the wall. The traverse
After the parameters of the environment borders and on- robot can walk a straight line and make a rotation.
wall obstacles are obtained, the robot selects the origin O b) The traversal algorithm required that the robot
and begins to perform the coverage path planning. The robot perceptual system can perceive environment walls, corners
encounters the base point L of the obstacle, and moves 2R and faults.
distance relative to the X-axis direction, and traverses along
the opposite direction of the original, that is, bow-type IV. THE OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE STRATEGY OF ROBOT
traversal. When the robot encounters the base point R, it COMPLETE TRAVERSE PATH PLANNING
bypasses the obstacle. The design of obstacle avoidance strategy primarily
Environmental layout is shown in Fig.4, the robot starts resolves how the robot avoids obstacles optimally. The
from the point O, and traverses along the positive direction problem forms a variety of methods: behavior learning
of the Y-axis. When the robot encounters obstacle 1, it method based on the basic action [8], block gradually
moves 2R distance along the positive direction of X-axis, approaching of dividing flat into multiple pixel [9], Voronoi
and then continues to traverse along the negative direction graphical method [10], and so on. Traversal robots
of the Y-axis, until to the wall, and then moves 2R distance researched in this subject are robots indoors executing
along the positive direction of the X-axis. So until move to traversal movement, according to their tasks, the obstacle
the right of the obstacle that point B, according to the avoidance strategies are to consider the following questions:
parameters of the border learning, this point is base point a) Work security. Certainly there are obstacles in the
R(xB,yB), then counterclockwise bypasses obstacles. indoor environment (such as walls, furnitures, etc.), taking

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into account the security issues of the robot, when the robot A. The Obstacle Avoidance Strategy Based on the
closes and encounters obstacles, the robot must stop the Adjacent Multi-sensor
movement. During the movement of the robot, the information of
b) Traversal integrity. The obstacle avoidance of the adjacent ultrasonic and infrared sensor was fused, and
traditional mobile robots is called immediately the obstacles the corresponding type of reaction was derived by the fusion
avoidance procedures after discovering the obstacles. The method of production rules [11]. At last, the obstacle
traversal robot as much as possible up to the coverage area, avoidance method of the robot was got.
therefore, traversal robot should sufficiently close to In operation of the robot, the distribution information
obstacles, but also to avoid the collision, that is, the robot based on the obstacle which is obtained according to the
can not be far to avoid obstacles, but should be close to the ultrasonic sensor in each direction is the steering conditions
obstacles to bypass. of the robot, which is the premise of the production rule
base. The conclusion of the production rule base is that the
robot takes which obstacle avoidance strategy or obstruction
type. The production rule base is structured by combining
these premises and conclusions, as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1. THE PRODUCTION RULE BASE OF THE TRAVERSAL ROBOT

Rules U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6 U7 Conclusion
There is no obstacle in front and on the right and on the left. The
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
robot does the linear motion.
There is no obstacle in front and on the left, and there is an obstacle
2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 on the right. The robot does the linear motion along the edge of the right
obstacle.
There is no obstacle in front and on the right, and there is an obstacle
3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
on the left. The robot does the linear motion along the edge of the left.
There is an obstacle in front and smaller than the robot. The robot
4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
does the isolation-style obstacle avoidance motion.
There is an obstacle in front and larger than the robot. The robot
5 0 0 1 1 1 0 0
does the retrievable obstacle avoidance movement
There is an obstacle toward the left front and larger than the robot.
6 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 The robot does the rounding barrier-type obstacle avoidance movement
for general obstacles.
There is an obstacle toward the right front and larger than the robot.
7 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
The robot does the retrievable obstacle avoidance movement
8 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 obstacle avoidance movement of concave wall
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 obstacle avoidance movement of convex wall

Where "1" represents the feedback signal of the

ultrasonic sensor, and "0" represents that there was no
feedback signal with the ultrasonic sensor, or feedback
signal exceeded the set value. The rules of table 1 are suit
for the robot learning in the counterclockwise along the
border and traversal movement.
The discriminant process of the production system is
shown in Fig.6, the robot constantly matches the premise of
the rule in the rule base with the data in the current database
during the running. When the match is successful, the
conclusion of acquiring the matching rules will be the next
step action of the robot; or else, continuing to match the
next rule with the data in the current database, until uses up
all the rules.

Figure 6. Discriminant flow of the production system

B. The Type Analysis of the ObstacleAvoidance With the

Traversal Robot
a) The obstacle avoidance of convex walls
The question of convex wall is that the signal of one
detection direction suddenly disappears during the robot in
the process of border learning. For the obstacle avoidance

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 Proceedings of the 2012 2nd International Conference on Computer and Information Application (ICCIA 2012)

behavior of the convex wall is shown in Fig.7, the robot The way of rounding the obstacles is taken when the
does the linear motion along the left wall in position 1, and robot encounters the isolated obstacle. The entire process of
then to position 2 the left wall signal disappears, according obstacle avoidance is achieved by two ways of revolving
to the production rules, the robot performs the obstacle and straight-line walking. As shown in Fig.10, the robot in
avoidance of convex wall. The robot simply needs revolver position 1 determines that there is an isolated-obstacle in
as a fixed wheel, the right rotation as a jog wheel, and turns front, and executes as follows: counterclockwise revolving
90°, and then the robot can do the rectilinear movement 90 ° → clockwise revolving 90 ° → straight line
along the new wall. walking → clockwise revolving 90° → counterclockwise
revolving 90°, and completes obstacle avoidance method
of isolation-obstacles.
e) Obstacle_avoidance of general obstacles
Specific obstacle avoidance process is shown in Figure
11, the robot uses the return type of obstacle avoidance
running from position 1 to position 3, then by now the robot
does not detect the obstacle in front, then counterclockwise
revolving 90 ° → walk straight → clockwise revolving
90°, by now the robot returns to the same line with the
Figure 7. Obstacle avoidance of convex walls
position 1, and the robot continues to traverse.

Figure 8. Obstacle avoidance of concave walls

Figure 9. Retrievable obstacle avoidance Figure 10. Obstacle avoidance of isolated obstacles

b) The obstacle avoidance of concave walls

A most typical situation of appearing concave walls is
that the robot encounters a corner, as shown in Fig.8. The
robot in position 1 obtains the obstacle information in front
and on the right through the sensor, and the robot takes the
obstacle avoidance of concave wall according to the
production rules. The robot needs revolver as the center of
rotation, and turns 90 ° ， reaching position 2, then
continues to do the movement along the wall.
c) Return-style obstacle avoidance
Return-style obstacle avoidance should meet two
conditions: First, the robot runs the opposite direction with
the original after obstacle avoidance; second, the run route Figure 11. Obstacle avoidance of general obstacles
of robot before and after the obstacle avoidance should be
two parallel lines, and 2R distance away. As shown in Fig.9, V. THE CONTROL PROGRAM FLOW OF OBSTACLE
when the robot runs to position 1, there is an obstacle ahead, AVOIDANCE WITH TRAVERSAL ROBOT
according to the production rules, the implementation of the The following discussion is that the path planning and
return type of obstacle avoidance is obtained. The robot obstacle avoidance strategy mentioned above how to
needs the right wheel as the center of rotation, and turns achieve on the Single Chip Microcomputer (SCM).
180 ° , reaching the position 3, and then continues for The control flow chart of traversal robot is shown in Fig.12.
reciprocating motion of the bow-shaped. After the control system of traversal robot starts, the robot
d) Obstacle avoidance method of the isolated obstacle begins to do the voluntary movement. First the robot

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 Proceedings of the 2012 2nd International Conference on Computer and Information Application (ICCIA 2012)

determines whether in the wall position, if not, then VI. SUMMARY

automatically walks along a straight line to the location of This paper analyzed the algorithm of complete coverage
the wall, and then counterclockwise rounds the environment path planning, and the complete coverage algorithm of robot
circle, finally stops at the corner near to the initial position, and obstacle avoidance strategy were put forward around
which is the starting point of the robot work. The robot the barrier. After the analysis, the algorithm is simple,
proceeds from the starting point, and the bow traversal is practical, and low repeatability, and high efficiency.
done, also the environment parameters are obtained by the
perceptual system, to create an electronic map. The estimate ACKNOWLEDGMENT
of production rules for the information is done to complete
the obstacle avoidance. This paper was sponsored by a key scientific research
The obstacle avoidance control flow of the traversal project of Shanghai (Project No. 11DZ2211104) and
robot is shown in Fig.13. Robot detects the area in front National Engineering Research Center of Protected
during the process of traversing. If there is no obstacle in the Agriculture (Project No. 2011BAD43B01 and Project No.
set distance, the robot continues the original action; or else, 2011BAD43B02).
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Figure 13. Control flow diagram of obstacle avoidance

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