distance sensing navigation algorithms anyone?

Projects Discussion and Showcase Robotics
3

Hi All

I would still like some pointers to navigation algorithms that are proven to work.

My current process is roughly as follows

main loop {
  if first time in main loop { navigate() }
  else { scanWhileDriving() }
}

navigate() {
  while not clearAhead() {
    scanForPath()
    turnTowardsPath()
  }
  goForeward
}

scanWhileDriving() {
  Scan 30 degrees each side of straight ahead (60 deg  to 120 deg)
  if anything closer than collisionThreshold detected {
    stop
    navigate()
  }
}


clearAhead() {
  Scan at [60, 75, 90, 105, 120] degrees (90 being straight ahead)
  if anything closer than clearPathThreshold { return false }
  else { return true }
}

scanForPath() {
  Scan 80 degrees each side of straight ahead ( 10 deg to 170 deg)
  Return furthest distance >= clearPathThreshold and angle distance found at
}


turnTowardsPath() {
  lookStraighAhead
  turn leftOrRightBasedOnAngle until furthestDistance found
}

I would appreciate any comments or pointers or even some grown-up navigation algorithms...

I placed the while not clearAhead in the navigate loop because when it turns towards the clear distance it stops turning when the wheels will still have collision danger...