From VO to NAO: Reactive Robot Navigation Using Velocity and Acceleration Obstacles

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of robot navigation in challenging dynamic environments by extending the Velocity Obstacle (VO) framework to the Nonlinear Acceleration Obstacle (NAO). The NAO represents the set of robot accelerations that would lead to collisions with an obstacle moving along an arbitrary trajectory. By formulating the problem in the acceleration domain, the method allows direct selection of accelerations, the natural control input of second-order systems, to generate safe avoidance maneuvers in complex dynamic environments. Simulation results show that NAO enables real-time collision avoidance while explicitly accounting for both robot kinematics (velocity) and dynamics (acceleration). The proposed framework thus provides a reactive and efficient basis for autonomous navigation in complex dynamic environments.