Round-trip path planning for unmanned aerial vehicle based on improved RRT* algorithm
Cheng Yu, Mou Chen, Kenan Yong · Scientia Sinica Technologica · 2022
This study proposes a round-trip UAV path planning method that completely incorporates the asymmetric qualities of information during departure and return to solve the problem of path planning in low altitude and complex unknown environments for UAVs. The departure planning algorithm continually updates environmental information through real-time detection of airborne devices and generates the departure path using an upgraded B-RRT* algorithm combined with rolling planning. In terms of return planning, the centralized sampling is limited to the elliptic subset determined by the init point and goal points, and the cubic B-spline interpolation algorithm is used to smooth the planned path to generate the return path. The simulation results show that the improved algorithm can effectively realize departure and return path planning. Finally, a quad-rotor UAV platform was built for obstacle avoidance flight experiments to verify the proposed algorithm’s effectiveness.