Mobile Robot That Emulates Pedestrian Walking Behaviors

Methods and systems for navigating a mobile robot through a crowded pedestrian environment based on a trained navigation model are described herein. The trained navigation model receives measurement data identifying nearby pedestrians and the velocity of each nearby pedestrian relative to the mobile robot, and the current position and desired endpoint position of the mobile robot in the crowded pedestrian environment. Based on this information, the trained navigation model generates command signals that cause the mobile robot to adjust its velocity. By repeatedly sampling the velocities of surrounding pedestrians and current location, the navigation model directs the mobile robot toward the endpoint location with a minimum of disruption to the pedestrian traffic flows. The navigation model is trained to emulate desirable pedestrian walking behaviors in a crowded pedestrian environment by tracking the movement of a behavioral trainer through a crowded pedestrian environment.