An Algorithm for Collision Avoidance in Path Planning   for a Group of Robots in a Spatio-Situational Indeterminacy

The paper considers a collision avoidance path-planning algorithm for a group of robots in a spatio-situational indeterminacy. When moving a group of robots to the target paths, crossing is the cause of collision. The authors compared three approaches to collision avoidance: ignoring collisions, resolution of all collisions for pairs of robots, resolution of collisions by expanding the group of robots. The effectiveness of the algorithm is evaluated based on the completeness of the solution of the problem and the collision resolution rate while minimizing each robot path. Collision avoidance is achieved by extension of the trajectory of the robots in the free space around the collision area. The algorithm consists of three parts: searching for the space free of obstacles around the collision area for each robot, exclusion from the resulting field areas of possible conflicts and minimizing the elongation paths in the obtained field. The algorithm was studied by simulation modeling, which implemented a model of the environment and the group of robots. The result of this work was to determine the limits of applicability and recommendations for the choice of the operating modes of the collision avoidance path-planning algorithm. The proposed algorithm can be used in case of path planning for a group of robots in a spatio-situational indeterminacy.