Research on Effective Path Planning Algorithm Based on Improved A* Algorithm

Abstract In recent years, with the rapid development of technology, mobile robots are being applied in all aspects of production and life. The A* algorithm can be used for global path planning of mobile robots. Aimed at the problem of the traditional A* algorithm planning path having many turning points and do not satisfying the global optimality, an A* algorithm based on the adaptive neighborhood search and steering cost has been proposed. Based on the information of the surrounding obstacles, the algorithm adaptively selects the appropriate neighborhood to search for the optimal child node. By establishing the steering cost model of the mobile robot, the steering cost is joined into the evaluation function of the A* algorithm. Based on the adaptive neighborhood search, the A* algorithm with steering cost breaks through the constraint of eight neighborhood search nodes, shortens the path length, and uses the steering cost to search for the global optimal path with fewer turning points. The simulation results show that compared to the traditional A* algorithm, the total path cost of the A* algorithm based on adaptive neighborhood search and steering cost is reduced by 19.3%, and the number of turning points is reduced by 44.4%.