Reinforcement Learning applied to 3D navigation: A Markov Decision Processes Approach

Authors

  • Leandro H. V. Sousa Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica
  • Elias J. R. Freitas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica
  • Armando A. Neto Departamento de Engenharia Eletrônica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
  • Luciano C. A. Pimenta Departamento de Engenharia Eletrônica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20906/CBA2024/4495

Keywords:

Reinforcement learning, Markov Decision Processes, collision avoidance

Abstract

This paper explores the application of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) in Reinforcement Learning to find a navigation policy in three-dimensional (3D) spaces. MDPs can define a comprehensive state space and guide the selection of optimal navigation strategies. The proposed methodology included the definition of the modeled environment, where each point was represented by a viable state, and the identification of possible actions, including movements in different three-dimensional directions. Furthermore, a reward function was designed that penalizes longer trajectories and encourages efficient collision avoidance. The results showed that the models were able to find a policy that allows the robot to execute the shortest path, both in the absence and presence of obstacles.

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Published

2024-10-18

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Section

Articles