Nonholonomic metrics gives rise to potential functions allowing real-time obstacle avoidance

See: M. Khatib, H. Jaouni, R. Chatila, J.P. Laumond, "Dynamic path modification for car-like nonholonomic mobile robots", in IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Albuquerque, April 97

The small white square is an unexpected obstacle; the nonholonomic path is updated in real-time and maneuvers are automatically computed to avoid it.

Potential are derived from an efficient function computing the shortest path to an obstacle .