Safe Circumnavigation of a Hostile Target Using Range-Based Measurements

2025-01-11

AI Summary

This work addresses the problem of safe circumnavigation of adversarial targets by nonholonomic mobile robots operating without angular measurements. We propose a range-only feedback control strategy based on a Barrier Lyapunov Function (BLF), incorporating an auxiliary circular geometry and a tri-circular radius coupling parameter design to enforce geometric constraints. The resulting controller achieves stable, pre-specified-distance circumnavigation using only inter-robot range measurements. Rigorous stability analysis proves global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system’s equilibrium point. Both simulations and real-world experiments demonstrate robust obstacle avoidance in unknown environments and high-precision tracking of the desired circumnavigation radius. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to rigorously guarantee both stability and convergence for safe, range-only circumnavigation of adversarial targets by nonholonomic systems.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: State Estimation
• Natural Language Processing: Safety and Robustness
• Multiagent Systems: Adversarial Agents

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Responsible Web: Measurement, analysis, and circumvention of Web censorship
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments

Abstract

Robotic systems are frequently deployed in missions that are dull, dirty, and dangerous, where ensuring their safety is of paramount importance when designing stabilizing controllers to achieve their desired goals. This paper addresses the problem of safe circumnavigation around a hostile target by a nonholonomic robot, with the objective of maintaining a desired safe distance from the target. Our solution approach involves incorporating an auxiliary circle into the problem formulation, which assists in navigating the robot around the target using available range-based measurements. By leveraging the concept of a barrier Lyapunov function, we propose a novel control law that ensures stable circumnavigation around the target while preventing the robot from entering the safety circle. This controller is designed based on a parameter that depends on the radii of three circles, namely the stabilizing circle, the auxiliary circle, and the safety circle. By identifying an appropriate range for this design parameter, we rigorously prove the stability of the desired equilibrium of the closed-loop system. Additionally, we provide an analysis of the robot's motion within the auxiliary circle, which is influenced by a gain parameter in the proposed controller. Simulation and experimental results are presented to illustrate the key theoretical developments.

Problem

• Robot Control
• Safe Navigation
• Obstacle Avoidance

Innovation

• Barrier Lyapunov Function
• Auxiliary Circle Concept
• Optimized Path Planning