Feasible and Optimal Path Planning in Strong Current Fields

• Published in: IEEE transactions on robotics Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 89 - 98
• Main Author: Soulignac, Michaël
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.02.2011; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; Autonomous underwater vehicle; Charts; Collision avoidance; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer simulation; Control theory. Systems; Cost function; Current measurement; currents; Equations; Exact sciences and technology; mission planning; Optimization; Optimization algorithms; Optimization techniques; Path planning; Precision; Robot kinematics; Robotics; Robots; Simulation; unmanned air vehicle; Wave fronts; Wavefronts; wind; Autonomous system; Wind; Path planning; unmanned air vehicle; Modeling; Optimization; Robotics; Wavefront; currents; Unmanned aerial vehicle; Optimal trajectory; mission planning; Cost function; Optimal path; Optimal planning; Current; Submarine vehicle; Autonomous underwater vehicle
• ISSN: 1552-3098; 1941-0468
• DOI: 10.1109/TRO.2010.2085790

This paper addresses the problem of path planning in strong current fields. In such situations, existing approaches are subject to incorrectness and incompleteness issues. That is, they may return physically infeasible paths or no path at all, even if a feasible path exists. That is why we propose here a new approach called the sliding wavefront expansion. This algorithm, which combine an appropriate cost function and continuous optimization techniques, guarantees the existence of a path with an arbitrary precision. The validity and the global optimality of the path are theoretically proven. Simulation results on realistic environments, which is based on actual wind charts, are also provided.