A Real-Time 3D Path Planning Solution for Collision-Free Navigation of Multirotor Aerial Robots in Dynamic Environments

Deliberative capabilities are essential for intelligent aerial robotic applications in modern life such as package delivery and surveillance.
This paper presents a real-time 3D path planning solution for multirotor aerial robots to obtain a feasible, optimal and collision-free path in complex dynamic environments. High-level geometric primitives are employed to compactly represent the situation, which includes self-situation of the robot and situation of the obstacles in the environment. A probabilistic graph is utilized to sample the admissible space without taking into account the existing obstacles.
Whenever a planning query is received, the generated probabilistic graph is then explored by an A$^{\star}$ discrete search algorithm with an artificial field map as cost function in order to obtain a raw optimal collision-free path, which is subsequently shortened.
Realistic simulations in V-REP simulator have been created to validate the proposed path planning solution, integrating it into a fully autonomous multirotor aerial robotic system.