Optimal solutions to a class of power management problems in mobile robots

This paper studies an approach to minimize the power consumption of a mobile robot by controlling its traveling speed and the frequency of its on-board processor simultaneously. The problem is formulated as a discrete-time optimal control problem with a random terminal time and probabilistic state constraints. A general solution procedure suitable for arbitrary power functions of the motor and the processor is proposed. Furthermore, for a class of realistic power functions, the optimal solution is derived analytically. Interpretations of the optimal solution in the practical context are also discussed. Simulation results show that the proposed method can save a significant amount of energy compared with some heuristic schemes.