An Autonomous Parallel Parking Algorithm for Car-like Mobile Robots

Autonomous vehicles may potentially tackle several modern transportation issues and contribute to the development of smart cities. Path planning remains a pillar of the viable improvements and an innate starting point for applications such as the extinction of traffic lights, the coordination of the shared use of different transport modes and the optimization of parking spaces utilization. In this scenario, this work proposes an algorithm for path planning of car-like mobile robots which takes the vehicle from an initial to a final pose through a smooth path, without movement interruption and avoiding any obstacles along the way. Results focus on autonomous parallel parking applications, including a simple example of search and parking in available spaces in a parking lot. Validation is accomplished through a 3D sym-to-real environment, and the outcomes demonstrate the adequacy of the model and the feasibility of the proposition as a beginning stage for broader investigations.