Network-Aware Path Planning for Autonomous Mobile Robots

Overview

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) operating in industrial environments depend on stable and reliable wireless communication.

Traditional path planning algorithms optimize for distance, time, or energy — but ignore network quality.

This project, conducted under the Horizon Europe PANDORA initiative, introduced a network-aware planning framework that integrates communication constraints into robotic decision-making.

Problem

Industrial environments introduce:

Signal attenuation due to metallic structures
Variable SNR and throughput
Latency-sensitive control loops
Communication dead zones

Conventional planners fail to account for these constraints, leading to unreliable robot behavior.

We asked:

Can path planning jointly optimize mobility and communication reliability?

Approach

We developed a framework that integrates:

Path planning (A*-based and learning-enhanced methods)
Wireless communication metrics (SNR, throughput, delay)
Spatial awareness modeling
Environment-aware adaptation

The system enables AMRs to:

Avoid communication drop zones
Maintain stable connectivity
Adapt to dynamic industrial conditions
Improve operational reliability

IEEE ANTS 2025

This work was published at:

IEEE International Conference on Advanced Networks and Telecommunications Systems (ANTS), 2025

Acceptance Rate: 32.8%

The paper demonstrated:

Improved communication-aware navigation
Performance gains over traditional planners
Reliable operation in industrial test scenarios

Contributions

Designed a communication-aware planning pipeline
Integrated network metrics into robotic optimization
Evaluated performance under realistic industrial conditions
Bridged AI, robotics, and communication systems

Impact

Improves safety and reliability of connected robots
Supports Industry 4.0 automation
Enables trustworthy AI-driven industrial systems

Network-Aware Path Planning for AMRs – IEEE ANTS 2025