Maximizing Coverage for Mobile Robots While Conserving Energy

This paper presents a method to compare area coverage paths in the context of energy efficiency. We examine cover-age paths created from the Boustrophedon Decomposition and Spanning Tree methods in an optimal control setting. Our cost function weights the force inputs to drive the robot and the currently uncovered region. We derive an optimal traversal of the path in a point-to-point manner. In particular, we introduce a meas function that represents the percentage of the area that is still to be visited. The effect of meas on the optimal traversal is derived. Trade-offs between area covered versus the time and energy required are presented. A simple trajectory modification allows the vehicle to continue moving through a turn to reduce energy consumption.