Path planning in unknown environment with obstacles using virtual window

A virtual window has been applied for real-time path planning of a mobile r obot in the presence of unknown obstacles. The path planner projects a vert ical plane ahead of the robot, and calculations of the space ahead and any intersections are done with respect to this window. A radial basis function is used to decipher the information on the window and to relay it to the p lanner. Using this technique, path planning through an unknown space can be performed which avoids collisions with obstacles present in the space. A s imple method of defining an obstacle or many obstacles is also proposed by using rectangles of different sizes.