  To operate safely and efficiently, autonomous warehouse/delivery robots must
be able to accomplish tasks while navigating in dynamic environments and
handling the large uncertainties associated with the motions/behaviors of other
robots and/or humans. A key scenario in such environments is the hallway
problem, where robots must operate in the same narrow corridor as human traffic
going in one or both directions. Traditionally, robot planners have tended to
focus on socially acceptable behavior in the hallway scenario at the expense of
performance. This paper proposes a planner that aims to address the consequent
"robot freezing problem" in hallways by allowing for "peek-and-pass" maneuvers.
We then go on to demonstrate in simulation how this planner improves robot time
to goal without violating social norms. Finally, we show initial hardware
demonstrations of this planner in the real world.
