Dynamic Fuzzy Logic Parameter Tuning for ACO and Its Application in the Fuzzy Logic Control of an Autonomous Mobile Robot

Abstract

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a population-based constructive meta-heuristic that exploits a form of past performance memory inspired by the foraging behaviour of real ants. The behaviour of the ACO algorithm is highly dependent on the values defined for its parameters. Adaptation and parameter control are recurring themes in the field of bio-inspired algorithms. The present paper explores a new approach to diversity control in ACO. The central idea is to avoid or slow down full convergence through the dynamic variation of certain parameters. The performance of different variants of the ACO algorithm was observed to choose one as the basis for the proposed approach. A convergence fuzzy logic controller with the objective of maintaining diversity at some level to avoid premature convergence was created. Encouraging results have been obtained on its application to the design of fuzzy controllers. In particular, the optimization of membership functions for a unicycle mobile robot trajectory control is presented with the proposed method.