A New Inverse Kinematics Algorithm for Nonholonomic Mobile Robots

Abstract From a general form of the Jacobian right inverse for nonholonomic mobile robots we derive a specific Jacobian inverse kinematics algorithm. By design, this algorithm does not involve the mobility matrix, what makes it computationally less demanding than the most often used Jacobian pseudoinverse algorithm. The algorithm has been applied to the unicycle-type mobile robot. It has been shown that the algorithm performs efficiently unless the unicycle moves along a straight line trajectory. Performance of the new algorithm has been illustrated by computer simulations of the unicycle whose controls are synthesized in accordance with either the finite element or the finite difference method.