Minimizing Turns in Watchman Robot Navigation: Strategies and Solutions
This work addresses the problem of optimizing patrol robot navigation for surveillance in polygonal environments, though it is incremental as it builds on existing OWRP methods with a specific focus on turn reduction.
The paper tackles the Orthogonal Watchman Route Problem by developing an efficient linear-time algorithm for monotone environments, focusing on minimizing the number of turns in robot navigation to enhance coverage and surveillance capabilities.
The Orthogonal Watchman Route Problem (OWRP) entails the search for the shortest path, known as the watchman route, that a robot must follow within a polygonal environment. The primary objective is to ensure that every point in the environment remains visible from at least one point on the route, allowing the robot to survey the entire area in a single, continuous sweep. This research places particular emphasis on reducing the number of turns in the route, as it is crucial for optimizing navigation in watchman routes within the field of robotics. The cost associated with changing direction is of significant importance, especially for specific types of robots. This paper introduces an efficient linear-time algorithm for solving the OWRP under the assumption that the environment is monotone. The findings of this study contribute to the progress of robotic systems by enabling the design of more streamlined patrol robots. These robots are capable of efficiently navigating complex environments while minimizing the number of turns. This advancement enhances their coverage and surveillance capabilities, making them highly effective in various real-world applications.