Abstract:
The field of mobile robot (MR) navigation with obstacle avoidance has largely focused on
real, physical obstacles as the sole external causative agent for navigation impediment. This paper has
explored the possible option of virtual obstacles (VOs) dominance in robot navigation impediment in
certain navigation environments as a MR move from one point in the workspace to a desired target
point. The systematically explored literature presented reviews mostly between the years 2000 and
2021; however, some outlier reviews from earlier years were also covered. An exploratory review
approach was deployed to itemise and discuss different navigation environments and how VOs can
impact the efficacy of both algorithms and sensors on a robotic vehicle. The associated limitations and
the specific problem types addressed in the different literature sources were highlighted including
whether or not a VO was considered in the path planning simulation or experiment. The discussion
and conclusive sections further recommended some solutions as a measure towards addressing
sensor performance incapacitation in a robot vehicle navigation problem.
