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On multiple moving objects

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Abstract

This paper explores the motion-planning problem for multiple moving objects. The approach taken consists of assigning priorities to the objects, then planning motions one object at a time. For each moving object, the planner constructs a configuration space-time that represents the time-varying constraints imposed on the moving object by the other moving and stationary objects. The planner represents this space-time approximately, using two-dimensional slices. The space-time is then searched for a collision-free path. The paper demonstrates this approach in two domains. One domain consists of translating planar objects; the other domain consists of two-link planar articulated arms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 02139, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Michael Erdmann & Tomás Lozano-Pérez

Authors
  1. Michael Erdmann
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  2. Tomás Lozano-Pérez
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Additional information

Communicated by Chee-Keng Yap.

This report describes research performed at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Michael Erdmann is supported in part by a fellowship from General Motors Research Laboratories. Tomás Lozano-Pérez is supported by an NSF Presidential Young Investigator grant. Support for the Laboratory's Artificial Intelligence research is provided in part by the System Development Foundation, in part by the Office of Naval Research under Office of Naval Research Contract N00014-81-K-0494, and in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency under Office of Naval Research Contracts N00014-80-C-0505 and N00014-82-K-0344.

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Erdmann, M., Lozano-Pérez, T. On multiple moving objects. Algorithmica 2, 477–521 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01840371

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01840371

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