Pathfinding Research Articles

An improve crested porcupine algorithm for UAV delivery path planning in challenging environments

With the rapid advancement of drone technology and the growing applications in the field of drone engineering, the demand for precise and efficient path planning in complex and dynamic environments has become increasingly important. Traditional algorithms struggle with complex terrain, obstacles, and weather changes, often falling into local optima. This study introduces an Improved Crown Porcupine Optimizer (ICPO) for drone path planning, which enables drones to better avoid obstacles, optimize flight paths, and reduce energy consumption. Inspired by porcupines' defense mechanisms, a visuo-auditory synergy perspective is adopted, improving early convergence by balancing visual and auditory defenses. The study also employs a good point set population initialization strategy to enhance diversity and eliminates the traditional population reduction mechanism. To avoid local optima in later stages, a novel periodic retreat strategy inspired by porcupines' precise defenses is introduced for better position updates. Analysis on the IEEE CEC2022 test set shows that ICPO almost reaches the optimal value, demonstrating robustness and stability. In complex mountainous terrain, ICPO achieved optimal values of 778.1775 and 954.0118; in urban terrain, 366.2789 and 910.1682 and ranked first among the compared algorithms, proving its effectiveness and reliability in drone delivery path planning. Looking ahead, the ICPO will provide greater efficiency and safety for drone path planning in navigating complex environments.

Clustering-based hyper-heuristic algorithm for multi-region coverage path planning of heterogeneous UAVs

In the context of multi-heterogeneous UAV coverage path planning, an effective solution method has been proposed. Firstly, regions are set up as fully connected graphs which are cut into multiple subgraphs by spectral clustering method to assign tasks to multi-heterogeneous UAVs. Additionally, an RL-based hyper-heuristic algorithm is proposed. Heuristic space is parameterized by GNN which is trained with the reward provided by the optimization goal to automate design and enhance the heuristic metrics, avoiding the inefficiency and suboptimality of expert design and manual parameter tuning. Compared with existing methods, the proposed algorithm has a better performance in task completion time, execution time and deviation rate, which shows its potential application in the coverage path planning problem of multi-heterogeneous UAVs.

Full Coverage Path Planning for Torpedo-Type AUVs’ Marine Survey Confined in Convex Polygon Area

In this paper, we present a full coverage path planning (CPP) algorithm for the marine surveys conducted in the convex polygon shaped search area. The survey is supposed to carry out by torpedo-type AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles). Due to their nonholonomic mechanical characteristics, these vehicles have nonzero minimum turning radius. For any given polygon shaped search area, it can always be partitioned into one or more convex polygons. With this in mind, this paper proposes a novel search algorithm called CbSPSA (Calculation based Shortest Path Search Algorithm) for full coverage of any given convex polygon shaped search area. By aligning the search inter-tracks alongside the edge with the minimum height, we can guarantee the minimum number of the vehicle’s turns. In addition, the proposed method can guarantee the planned path is strictly located inside the polygon area without overlapped or crossed path lines, and also has the total path length as short as possible. Considering the vehicle’s nonzero minimum turning radius, we also propose a sort of smoothing algorithm which can smooth the waypoint path searched by CbSPSA so that the vehicle can exactly follow it. The smoothed path is also guaranteed to be strictly located inside the polygon. Numerical simulation analyses are also carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.

A Systematic Review of Rapidly Exploring Random Tree RRT Algorithm for Single and Multiple Robots

Abstract Recent advances in path-planning algorithms have transformed robotics. The Rapidly exploring Random Tree (RRT) algorithm underpins autonomous robot navigation. This paper systematically examines the uses and development of RRT algorithms in single and multiple robots to demonstrate their importance in modern robotics studies. To do this, we have reviewed 70 works on RRT algorithms in single and multiple robot path planning from 2015 to 2023. RRT algorithm evolution, including crucial turning points and innovative techniques, have been examined. A detailed comparison of the RRT Algorithm versions reveals their merits, limitations, and development potential. The review’s identification of developing regions and future research initiatives will enable roboticists to use RRT algorithms. This thorough review is essential to the robotics community, inspiring new ideas, helping problem-solving, and expediting single- and multi-robot system development. This highlights the necessity of RRT algorithms for autonomous and collaborative robotics advancement.

Designing an Autonomous Vehicle Using Sensor Fusion Based on Path Planning and Deep Learning Algorithms

Designing an Autonomous Vehicle Using Sensor Fusion Based on Path Planning and Deep Learning Algorithms

Robot Path Planning and Tracking with the Flower Pollination SearchOptimization Algorithm

Robot path planning and tracking involve two critical aspects of autonomous navigation systems: determining an optimal route for the robot to follow and ensuring that it accurately adheres to this path in real-time. Path planning focuses on generating a feasible and efficient trajectory from a starting point to a destination while considering obstacles, dynamic environments, and constraints. This paper investigates the effectiveness of the Flower Pollination Search Optimization (FPSO) algorithm for robot path planning and compares its performance with traditional algorithms such as A* Algorithm, Dijkstra, and Rapidlyexploring Random Tree (RRT). The FPSO algorithm was evaluated across three distinct scenarios, demonstrating superior performance in terms of path length, computation time, and path smoothness. In Scenario 1, FPSO achieved an optimized path length of 10.5 meters with a computation time of 3.2 seconds, a path smoothness score of 8.9, and a path efficiency of 95%. In Scenario 2, FPSO resulted in a path length of 12.3 meters and a computation time of 3.5 seconds, with a smoothness score of 8.7 and an efficiency of 93%. Scenario 3 showed FPSO's best performance, with a path length of 9.8 meters, computation time of 3.0 seconds, a smoothness score of 9.0, and a path efficiency of 96%. Comparatively, the A* Algorithm, Dijkstra, and RRT exhibited longer path lengths and higher computation times, with lower smoothness scores and efficiencies.

Integrating deep reinforcement learning and improved artificial potential field method for safe path planning for mobile robots

Purpose This paper aims to address the safety concerns of path-planning algorithms in dynamic obstacle warehouse environments. It proposes a method that uses improved artificial potential fields (IAPF) as expert knowledge for an improved deep deterministic policy gradient (IDDPG) and designs a hierarchical strategy for robots through obstacle detection methods. Design/methodology/approach The IAPF algorithm is used as the expert experience of reinforcement learning (RL) to reduce the useless exploration in the early stage of RL training. A strategy-switching mechanism is introduced during training to adapt to various scenarios and overcome challenges related to sparse rewards. Sensor inputs, including light detection and ranging data, are integrated to detect obstacles around waypoints, guiding the robot toward the target point. Findings Simulation experiments demonstrate that the integrated use of IDDPG and the IAPF method significantly enhances the safety and training efficiency of path planning for mobile robots. Originality/value This method enhances safety by applying safety domain judgment rules to improve APF’s security and designing an obstacle detection method for better danger anticipation. It also boosts training efficiency through using IAPF as expert experience for DDPG and the classification storage and sampling design for the RL experience pool. Additionally, adjustments to the actor network’s update frequency expedite convergence.

An improved whale optimization algorithm for multi-robot path planning

Multi-robot path planning is challenging and has increasingly attracted attention with its widespread applications. This article proposes an improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) with Refracted opposition-based learning and Quantum behaviour (RQWOA). The algorithm is able to plan smooth and collisionless paths for robots combining cubic spline interpolation and multi-robot coordination. A quantum behavioural mechanism is used to coordinate the evolution of the whale population during the variable phase to increase the population quality and balance the exploration and exploitation capabilities of the WOA. Simultaneously, refracted opposition-based learning is introduced to improve the algorithm's optimization accuracy and convergence speed. The RQWOA was compared with seven efficient algorithms in experiments on classical test functions and multi-robot path planning cases. The results of these methods were tested statistically. The experimental results indicate that the RQWOA has superior solution accuracy. The RQWOA is highly competitive in terms of pathlength and stability in solving multi-robot path planning problems.

Evolutionary computation for unmanned aerial vehicle path planning: a survey

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path planning aims to find the optimal flight path from the start point to the destination point for each aerial vehicle. With the rapid development of UAV technology, UAVs are required to tackle missions in increasingly complex environments. Consequently, UAV path planning encounters more challenges, causing traditional deterministic algorithms to struggle to find the optimal path within a certain time. Evolutionary computation (EC) is a series of nature-inspired methodologies and algorithms, which have shown effectiveness and efficiency in solving many complex optimization problems in real-world applications. Recently, EC algorithms have been effectively applied in UAV path planning and have shown encouraging performance in obtaining high-quality solutions. Therefore, it is crucial to review the related research experience and literature in the field of using EC for UAV path planning. This paper presents a comprehensive survey to showcase the existing studies on EC in UAV path planning, especially in complex environments. The paper first proposes a novel taxonomy to categorize the relevant studies into three different categories according to the complex environmental properties of the application scenarios. These environmental properties include complex search space, complex time control, and complex optimization objectives. Then, the EC algorithms for UAV path planning in these complex environments are further systematically surveyed as constrained search space and large-scale search space in complex search space, dynamic UAV path planning and multi-UAV concurrent path planning in complex time control, and expensive objective and multiple objectives in complex optimization objectives. Finally, some potential future research directions for applying EC algorithms to UAV path planning are presented and discussed.

A hybrid sampling-based RRT* path planning algorithm for autonomous mobile robot navigation

The path-planning algorithms for autonomous mobile robot navigation are crucial, often relying on sampling-based methods. RRT* is a robust, sampling-based path planning algorithm. The sampling process in RRT* plays a pivotal role, where uniform sampling can lead to slow convergence, while non-uniform sampling offers faster convergence but may struggle in complex environments due to its limited exploration. Thus, achieving a balance between exploitation and exploration is essential when selecting the sampling method for the RRT* path-planning algorithm. To address this issue, this research paper introduces Hybrid-RRT*, a path planning method that utilizes hybrid sampling. This unique approach generates samples using both non-uniform and uniform samplers. Hybrid-RRT* is evaluated against three baseline path planning algorithms—RRT*-N, Informed RRT*, and RRT*—across three different 384x384 2D simulation environments. Compared to these baseline methods, Hybrid-RRT* achieves superior results across all five performance metrics: convergence rate, success rate, number of nodes visited, path length, and planning time. According to the numerical results, the proposed algorithm achieves a faster average convergence rate that is 76.14% higher than RRT*, 24% higher than Informed RRT*, and 3.33% higher than RRT*-N. Moreover, it reduces node exploration by an average of 48.53% compared to RRT* and 40.83% compared to Informed RRT*. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed Hybrid-RRT* algorithm effectively addresses the issue of slow convergence with uniform sampling and the challenge of limited exploration with non-uniform sampling methods.

Multi-Robot Navigation System Design Based on Proximal Policy Optimization Algorithm

The more path conflicts between multiple robots, the more time it takes to avoid each other, and the more navigation time it takes for the robots to complete all tasks. This study designs a multi-robot navigation system based on deep reinforcement learning to provide an innovative and effective method for global path planning of multi-robot navigation. It can plan paths with fewer path conflicts for all robots so that the overall navigation time for the robots to complete all tasks can be reduced. Compared with existing methods of global path planning for multi-robot navigation, this study proposes new perspectives and methods. It emphasizes reducing the number of path conflicts first to reduce the overall navigation time. The system consists of a localization unit, an environment map unit, a path planning unit, and an environment monitoring unit, which provides functions for calculating robot coordinates, generating preselected paths, selecting optimal path combinations, robot navigation, and environment monitoring. We use topological maps to simplify the map representation for multi-robot path planning so that the proposed method can perform path planning for more robots in more complex environments. The proximal policy optimization (PPO) is used as the algorithm for deep reinforcement learning. This study combines the path selection method of deep reinforcement learning with the A* algorithm, which effectively reduces the number of path conflicts in multi-robot path planning and improves the overall navigation time. In addition, we used the reciprocal velocity obstacles algorithm for local path planning in the robot, combined with the proposed global path planning method, to achieve complete and effective multi-robot navigation. Some simulation results in NVIDIA Isaac Sim show that for 1000 multi-robot navigation tasks, the maximum number of path conflicts that can be reduced is 60,375 under nine simulation conditions.

Energy-Aware 3D Path Planning by Autonomous Ground Vehicle in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks are used to monitor the environment, to detect anomalies or any other problems and risks in the system. If used in the transportation network, they can monitor traffic and detect traffic risks. In wireless sensor networks, energy constraints must be handled to enable continuous environmental monitoring and surveillance data gathering and communication. Energy-aware path planning of autonomous ground vehicle charging for sensor nodes can solve energy and battery replacement problems. This paper uses the Nearest Neighbour algorithm for the energy-aware path planning problem with an autonomous ground vehicle. Path planning simulations show that the Nearest Neighbour algorithm converges faster and produces a better solution than the genetic algorithm. We offer robust and energy-efficient path planning algorithms to swiftly collect sensor data with less energy, allowing the monitoring system to respond faster to anomalies. Positioning communicating sensors closer minimizes their energy usage and improves the network lifetime. This study also considers the scenario in which it is recommended to avoid taking direct travelling pathways between particular node pairs for a variety of different reasons. To address this more challenging scenario, we provide an Obstacle-Avoided Nearest Neighbour-based approach that has been adapted from the Nearest Neighbour approach. Within the context of this technique, the direct paths that connect the nodes are restricted. Even in this case, the Obstacle-Avoided Nearest Neighbour-based approach achieves almost the same performance as the the Neighbour-based approach.

Path Planning for Floor Cleaning Robots Based on MATLAB Simulink

The increasing popularity of robotic vacuum cleaners in households in recent years has established them as indispensable devices in many homes and has also demonstrated their potential in various other domains. Nevertheless, numerous robotic sweepers available in the market exhibit certain constraints, including repetitive sweeping of the same area, collisions, or entrapment by obstacles. These limitations restrict their effectiveness in specific settings, such as hospitals, where comprehensive cleaning is essential. In an effort to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of robotic sweepers, a research project was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of navigating a two-dimensional environment utilizing plannerAStar, a path planning algorithm in MATLAB. The study findings indicated a direct correlation between the quantity of goals established through the A-planner and the percentage of independent obstacles effectively circumvented, as well as the area traversed in a distinct "side-to-side" configuration. The enhanced pattern variant exhibited greater consistency and coverage in an environment characterized by walls and corridors. Improved path planning algorithms have been developed utilizing the plannerAStar function in MATLAB Simulink to address issues related to collisions and obstructions encountered by swinging robots in real-world scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that the path planning algorithm utilizing plannerAStar significantly decreases the path length by 34%, reduces the number of collisions by 75%, and lowers the collision rate by 10% in comparison to the fundamental randomized algorithm. The findings indicate that utilizing the plannerAStar algorithm for path planning is anticipated to notably decrease both redundant collisions and obstacle collisions for the robot, consequently enhancing the robot's operational efficiency.

GVP-RRT: a grid based variable probability Rapidly-exploring Random Tree algorithm for AGV path planning

In response to the issues of low solution efficiency, poor path planning quality, and limited search completeness in narrow passage environments associated with Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT), this paper proposes a Grid-based Variable Probability Rapidly-exploring Random Tree algorithm (GVP-RRT) for narrow passages. The algorithm introduced in this paper preprocesses the map through gridization to extract features of different path regions. Subsequently, it employs random growth with variable probability density based on the features of path regions using various strategies based on grid, probability, and guidance to enhance the probability of growth in narrow passages, thereby improving the completeness of the algorithm. Finally, the planned route is subjected to path re-optimization based on the triangle inequality principle. The simulation results demonstrate that the planning success rate of GVP-RRT in complex narrow channels is increased by 11.5–69.5% compared with other comparative algorithms, the average planning time is reduced by more than 50%, and the GVP-RRT has a shorter average planning path length.

Safe path planning of mobile robot based on improved particle swarm optimization

Path planning is a fundamental aspect of mobile robot navigation, playing a crucial role in enabling robots to autonomously navigate while avoiding obstacles. Nevertheless, traditional path planning algorithms face navigation challenges, including obstacle avoidance and the potential for getting stuck in local minima or deadlocks along the path. To tackle these challenges, the study proposes an enhanced path planning method based on control barrier function (CBF). This approach introduces a safety velocity adjustment mechanism based on CBF and combines it with the particle swarm optimization (PSO), adjusting the safe speed in global planning and addressing the issue of local minima. Experimental simulations are conducted to validate the flexibility and global optimization performance of the proposed path planning method across various obstacle scenarios.

Review on Security Range Perception Methods and Path-Planning Techniques for Substation Mobile Robots

The use of mobile robots in substations improves maintenance efficiency and ensures the personal safety of staff working at substations, which is a trend in the development of technologies. Strong electric and solid magnetic fields around high-voltage equipment in substations may lead to the breakdown and failure of inspection devices. Therefore, safe operation range measurement and coordinated planning are key factors in ensuring the safe operation of substations. This paper first summarizes the current developments that are occurring in the field of fixed and mobile safe operating range sensing methods for substations, such as ultra-wideband technology, the two-way time flight method, and deep learning image processing algorithms. Secondly, this paper introduces path-planning algorithms based on safety range sensing and analyzes the adaptability of global search methods based on a priori information, local planning algorithms, and sensor information in substation scenarios. Finally, in view of the limitations of the existing range awareness and path-planning methods, we investigate the problems that occur in the dynamic changes in equipment safety zones and the frequent switching of operation scenarios in substations. Furthermore, we explore a new type of barrier and its automatic arrangement system to improve the performance of distance control and path planning in substation scenarios.

Automatic Path-Planning Techniques for Minimally Invasive Stereotactic Neurosurgical Procedures-A Systematic Review.

This review systematically examines the recent research from the past decade on diverse path-planning algorithms tailored for stereotactic neurosurgery applications. Our comprehensive investigation involved a thorough search of scholarly papers from Google Scholar, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Scopus, utilizing stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria. The screening and selection process was meticulously conducted by a multidisciplinary team comprising three medical students, robotic experts with specialized knowledge in path-planning techniques and medical robotics, and a board-certified neurosurgeon. Each selected paper was reviewed in detail, and the findings were synthesized and reported in this review. The paper is organized around three different types of intervention tools: straight needles, steerable needles, and concentric tube robots. We provide an in-depth analysis of various path-planning algorithms applicable to both single and multi-target scenarios. Multi-target planning techniques are only discussed for straight tools as there is no published work on multi-target planning for steerable needles and concentric tube robots. Additionally, we discuss the imaging modalities employed, the critical anatomical structures considered during path planning, and the current status of research regarding its translation to clinical human studies. To the best of our knowledge and as a conclusion from this systematic review, this is the first review paper published in the last decade that reports various path-planning techniques for different types of tools for minimally invasive neurosurgical applications. Furthermore, this review outlines future trends and identifies existing technology gaps within the field. By highlighting these aspects, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview that can guide future research and development in path planning for stereotactic neurosurgery, ultimately contributing to the advancement of safer and more effective neurosurgical procedures.

Intelligent path planning for civil infrastructure inspection with multi-rotor aerial vehicles

This paper presents the development of algorithms for high-level control and intelligent path planning of multi-rotor aerial vehicles (MAVs) in the tasks of inspecting civil infrastructure. After revisiting the multicopter modeling, we describe the hierarchy of high-level control for MAVs and develop optimization algorithms for generating optimal paths and enabling automatic flight during inspection tasks, making use of the digital twin technology. A co-simulation framework is then established to simulate and evaluate inspection mission scenarios, integrating these essential components. Real-world examples from built infrastructure illustrate this concept. An advantage of this approach is its ability to rigorously test, validate, verify, and evaluate MAV operations under abnormal conditions without requiring physical implementation or field tests. This significantly reduces testing efforts throughout the development cycle, ensuring optimal cooperation, safety, smoothness, fault tolerance, and energy efficiency. The methodology is validated through simulations and real-world inspection of a monorail bridge.

Efficient routing in robotic movable fulfillment systems with integer programming: A rolling horizon and heuristic approach

This paper addresses an integrated rack assignment and robot routing problem arising in robotic movable fulfillment systems (RMFS). This NP-hard planning task goes beyond current literature by simultaneously optimizing movable rack selection and multi-agent collision-free path finding, rather than decomposing them. A mixed integer programming (MIP) model with a new level-space-time network representation is proposed, jointly considering reusable racks, robot-rack pairings, storage repositioning, and collision avoidance. To improve computational efficiency, a fast rolling horizon heuristic and greedy algorithm are developed. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the integrated method's solutions can improve by 30 % upon conventional decomposed approaches. Intriguing test cases reveal the model, suggesting non-intuitive robot carryover policies that are unfound by separate selection and routing methods. This indicates potential optimization benefits from explicitly coordinating task assignment, scheduling, and routing decisions in complex automated warehousing systems. The rolling horizon heuristic solutions approach optimality with much greater efficiency than directly solving one large MIP, validating its practical value. This research provides useful integrated modeling insights, efficient solution algorithms, and decision support for efficiently controlling next-generation robotic movable fulfillment systems.

Multi-AUVs cooperative path planning in 3D underwater terrain and vortex environments based on improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm

This paper presents an improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization (IMOPSO) algorithm for cooperative path planning of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (multi-AUVs) in 3D underwater terrain and vortex environment. Traditional PSO algorithms often struggle with local optima in high-dimensional, complex search spaces. To address this, we propose enhancements including Sine double-sequence perturbation interpolation for initial particle population generation, adaptive differential evolution strategies, iterative local search, and traction operations to enhance global search capability and avoid local optima. Additionally, cubic spline interpolation is employed to smooth the planned paths. The objective function is tailored to the ocean currents environment, considering path length, smoothness, deflection angle, and current impact, with a penalty function method to handle multi-AUVs cooperation and environmental constraints optimization for optimal energy consumption. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm effectively plans short-range, high-security global paths for multi-AUVs, verifying its effectiveness and practicality in meeting the navigation requirements in ocean currents environments.