Sound signal following control of a mobile robot with the estimation of the sound source location by a microphone array

A sound signal following control of a mobile robot with the estimation of the sound source location has been implemented in this research using a microphone array. The geometry of the microphone array and the traveling time difference of the sound signal depending on the distance provides the two dimensional coordinates of the sound signal. To detect the same transmission moment of the sound signal, cross-correlation among the received sound signal has been utilized. To follow the leading sound signal precisely and quickly, the single curvature-navigating has been planned from the mobile robot to the sound source, which is one of the best trajectories for the differential driving mobile robots. The real experiments with two mobile robots are executed : one robot is moving forward generating the sound signal and the other robot is following the leading robot by recognizing the sound signal. This algorithm can be applicable for platooning of the mobile robots executing surveillance and recuing operations.