Weak Chaos Control for Action-Oriented Perception: Real Time Implementation via FPGA

In this paper a new robot navigation technique based on sensing-perception-action loop, called weak chaos control, has been implemented in a low level hardware structure using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The underlying idea is that perception can be represented by chaotic attractors whose dynamical evolution depends on sensorial stimuli. To achieve this goal sensors equipped on the robot are associated with reference trajectories controlling the chaotic system. This represents a key issue in the representation of perception under the concurrent control of different sensorial stimuli. The implemented strategy has been tested on an experimental environment using a roving robot and demonstrates the capability to perform a real-time navigation control.