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BA*: an online complete coverage algorithm for cleaning robots

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Abstract

This paper presents a novel approach to solve the online complete coverage task of autonomous cleaning robots in unknown workspaces based on the boustrophedon motions and the A* search algorithm (BA*). In this approach, the robot performs a single boustrophedon motion to cover an unvisited region until it reaches a critical point. To continue covering the next unvisited region, the robot wisely detects backtracking points based on its accumulated knowledge, determines the best backtracking point as the starting point of the next boustrophedon motion, and applies an intelligent backtracking mechanism based on the proposed A* search with smoothed path on tiling so as to reach the starting point with the shortest collision-free path. The robot achieves complete coverage when no backtracking point is detected. Computer simulations and experiments in real workspaces prove that our proposed BA* is efficient for the complete coverage task of cleaning robots.

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Notes

  1. If our method is implemented in a commercial cleaning robot such as the Samsung Robotic Vacuum Cleaner VC-RL87W (2011), then the robot may cover the entire workspace (100 %) because it is equipped with side brushes.

  2. The experimental video files are available at the URL: http://163.180.116.135:8080/

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (2010-0012609) for its tremendous support to this work’s completion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1-Seocheon, Giheung, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 446-701, South Korea

    Hoang Huu Viet, Md Nasir Uddin Laskar & TaeChoong Chung

  2. Research and Development Center, Duy Tan University, K7/25 Quang Trung, Da Nang City, VietNam

    Viet-Hung Dang

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  1. Hoang Huu Viet
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  2. Viet-Hung Dang
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  3. Md Nasir Uddin Laskar
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  4. TaeChoong Chung
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Correspondence to TaeChoong Chung.

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Viet, H.H., Dang, VH., Laskar, M.N.U. et al. BA*: an online complete coverage algorithm for cleaning robots. Appl Intell 39, 217–235 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-012-0406-4

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