Simulation of Constant-Distance Robot Following using Radio Proximity Beacons

Jeremy Elson
University of Southern California
CSCI547 - Final Project Report

Date: December 10, 1999

Abstract:

This paper reports the first step in an attempt to examine the relationship between simulators and reality. Whereas some simulation efforts attempt to model physical phenomena in the greatest possible detail, others have been successful in only adding pseudo-random noise sufficient to swamp inaccuracies that come from an intentionally simplistic model. In this vein, we develop a crude, noisy radio model with the hope that simulations of robot behaviors using it can be later validated against reality. The behavior is simple: a follower that attempts to keep a robot at a constant distance from its leader.