Research on the star algorithm for safe path planning

Abstract

The conventional A star algorithm is one of the most effective direct search methods to solve the shortest path in the static map. However, to keep the path as short as possible, the best path it seeks tends to be close to obstacles, which has defects for some medical and service robots that need to keep a safe distance from obstacles. In this paper, based on the conventional A star algorithm, the computational form of its heuristic function is adjusted so that the search efficiency is improved by nearly 80%. Meanwhile, the obstacles are extended during calculation so that they are kept in line with the obstacles. Experiments show that the mentioned method can improve computational efficiency while ensuring that the generated path and obstacles are within the safe range. The results of this paper may be conducive to the application of the algorithm in practical situations.