A hierarchical navigation framework for mobile robots

Autonomous navigation is one of the primitive functionalities which mobile robots should have. However, it is still difficult for the robot to navigate in real environments which are so complex and dynamic. In this paper, we present a hierarchical navigation framework for mobile robots. The navigation framework consists of mapping, localization, planning and control. The framework is applied to a Pioneer 3-AT robot for test under Robot Operating System (ROS). The effectiveness of the proposed navigation framework is demonstrated in experiments with the Pioneer 3-AT robot navigating in an indoor environment. Experimental results show that the localization works very well and the robot can navigate to the goal posture without collision with static or dynamic obstacles.