The centre of area method as a basic mechanism for representation and navigation

Potential methods and all their gradient-based derivations are extensively used in autonomous robotics, primarily in association with reactive navigational strategies. In this article we introduce the fundamentals, formalisation and application of a brand-new method based on first-order moments called the “centre of area method”. We also comment on its validity, at an individual level and in combination with other methods, in order to build a situated representation of the environment.