Optimal Path Planning for Car-like Off-road Vehicles

A simple algorithm for planning the optimal path for a car-like vehicle operating in outdoor environments is presented. The algorithm is based on the well-known A* approach, which is applied in the vehicle's "configuration space" and is adapted to take into account constraints that are specific to the type of vehicle and environment considered: limited steering angle, limited range of pitch and roll angles permissible, forward motion preferable, frequent turning not desirable. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated on several examples based on randomly generated maps as well as on more realistic orchard maps.