Receding Horizon Motion Planning for Multi-Agent Systems: A Velocity Obstacle Based Probabilistic Method

TL;DR

This paper introduces a probabilistic receding horizon motion planning method for multi-agent systems that uses velocity obstacles and collision probability thresholds to ensure safe, collision-free trajectories, especially at high speeds.

Contribution

It presents a novel velocity-level planning approach incorporating chance constraints and geometric collision cone information for safer multi-agent navigation.

Findings

Effectively avoids potential collisions with low probability thresholds.

Ensures safer trajectories for high-speed multi-agent systems.

Validated through multiple simulation scenarios.

Abstract

In this paper, a novel and innovative methodology for feasible motion planning in the multi-agent system is developed. On the basis of velocity obstacles characteristics, the chance constraints are formulated in the receding horizon control (RHC) problem, and geometric information of collision cones is used to generate the feasible regions of velocities for the host agent. By this approach, the motion planning is conducted at the velocity level instead of the position level. Thus, it guarantees a safer collision-free trajectory for the multi-agent system, especially for the systems with high-speed moving agents. Moreover, a probability threshold of potential collisions can be satisfied during the motion planning process. In order to validate the effectiveness of the methodology, different scenarios for multiple agents are investigated, and the simulation results clearly show that the proposed approach can effectively avoid potential collisions with a collision probability less than a specific threshold.