A Multiple Environment Available Path Planning Based on an Improved A* Algorithm

Abstract The objective of the path planning for a mobile robot is to generate a collision-free path from a starting position to a target position, aiming to realize a higher quality of path planning, an improved A* algorithm and a hybrid approach incorporating the dynamic window algorithm have been proposed for robot path planning in various environments in this paper. In global path planning, first, a bidirectional search strategy was introduced into to improve the searching efficiency, and an adaptive heuristic function was designed to reduce redundant search nodes. In the meantime, a filtering function for key path nodes and an enhanced jump point optimization method help to remove redundant nodes in the path, reduce turning angles, greatly shorten the path length, and smooth the path using cubic B-spline curves. Furthermore, in local path planning, the combination of key path nodes and the dynamic window approach (DWA) algorithm is utilized to achieve obstacle avoidance in dynamic environments and adjust the heading angle of the section enables seamless locomotion of the robot. Finally, the simulation experiments and physical experiments on the robot were conducted to validate that the proposed improved algorithm significantly improves the speed of path planning while also reducing the length of the planned path and improve the reliability of the algorithm when compared with other algorithms.