UAV path planning in 3D cluttered and uncertain environments centers on finding an optimal / sub-optimal collision-free path, considering in parallel geometric, physical and temporal constraints, fox example, obstacles, infrastructure, physical or artificial landmarks, etc. This paper introduces a novel node-based algorithm, called Energy Efficient A* (EEA*), which is based on the A* search algorithm, but overcomes some of its key limitations. The EEA* deals with 3D environments, it is robust converging fast to the solution, it is energy efficient and it is real-time implementable and executable. In addition to the EEA*, a local path planner is also derived to cope with unknown dynamic threats within the working environment. The EEA* and the local path planner are first implemented and evaluated via simulated experiments using a fixed-wing UAV operating in mountain-like 3D environments, and in the presence of unknown dynamic obstacles. This is followed by evaluating a set up where three UAVs are commanded to follow their respective paths in a safe way. The energy efficiency of EEA* is also tested and compared with the conventional A* algorithm.

Fixed-Wing UAV Energy Efficient 3D Path Planning in Cluttered Environments / Aiello, Giuseppe; Valavanis, Kimon; Rizzo, Alessandro. - In: JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT & ROBOTIC SYSTEMS. - ISSN 1573-0409. - 105:(2022), p. 60. [10.1007/s10846-022-01608-1]

Fixed-Wing UAV Energy Efficient 3D Path Planning in Cluttered Environments

Valavanis, Kimon;Rizzo, Alessandro
2022

Abstract

UAV path planning in 3D cluttered and uncertain environments centers on finding an optimal / sub-optimal collision-free path, considering in parallel geometric, physical and temporal constraints, fox example, obstacles, infrastructure, physical or artificial landmarks, etc. This paper introduces a novel node-based algorithm, called Energy Efficient A* (EEA*), which is based on the A* search algorithm, but overcomes some of its key limitations. The EEA* deals with 3D environments, it is robust converging fast to the solution, it is energy efficient and it is real-time implementable and executable. In addition to the EEA*, a local path planner is also derived to cope with unknown dynamic threats within the working environment. The EEA* and the local path planner are first implemented and evaluated via simulated experiments using a fixed-wing UAV operating in mountain-like 3D environments, and in the presence of unknown dynamic obstacles. This is followed by evaluating a set up where three UAVs are commanded to follow their respective paths in a safe way. The energy efficiency of EEA* is also tested and compared with the conventional A* algorithm.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11583/2970342