Global path planning of unmanned ship island region based on improved A* algorithm

Abstract To solve the path planning problem for unmanned boats in island and reef areas, this paper introduces an adaptive heuristic function specifically for island and reef areas based on the traditional A* algorithm, in order to effectively handle the obstacle avoidance problem. A new cost function is designed to balance the relationship between path length and safety. The sea chart is converted into a path planning map by using the grid method, and the path planning is carried out. The paper compares the performance of the new path-planning algorithm with other path-planning algorithms through experiments, and the improved A* algorithm for global path planning of unmanned boats in island and reef areas shows excellent performance in various complex environments, effectively improving the island and reef area navigation efficiency.