Parallel navigation for reaching a moving goal by a mobile robot

In this paper, we present a method for robot navigation toward a moving object with unknown maneuvers. Our strategy is based on the integration of the robot and the target kinematics equations with geometric rules. The tracking problem is modeled in polar coordinates using a two-dimensional system of differential equations. The control law is then derived based on this model. Our approach consists of a rendezvous course, which means that the robot reaches the moving goal without following its path. In the presence of obstacles, two navigation modes are integrated, namely the tracking and the obstacle-avoidance modes. To confirm our theoretical results, the navigation strategy is illustrated using an extensive simulation for different scenarios.