A novel approach for 3PDP and real-time via point path planning of Dubins’ vehicles in marine applications
Gianfranco Parlangeli, Daniela De Palma, Rossella Attanasi
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of finding the shortest Dubins path between three consecutive via-points with prescribed initial and final orientations and without a prescribed orientation at the intermediate via-point. The problem plays a crucial role for online path planning in many marine applications, as for example, it is instrumental to solve the Dubins Traveling Salesman Problem. A novel solution is proposed using simple tools borrowed from analytic geometry, and an efficient algorithm is presented as a basic routine for real-time path planning algorithms. Extensive simulations confirmed the efficiency of the proposed strategy in terms of both computational complexity and accuracy of the solution. Moreover, a comparative analysis with recent existing approaches is performed showing the effectiveness of the proposed solution. • A novel method based on analytic geometry is adopted to solve the 3PDP Dubins problem. • The resulting algorithm provides fast and accurate solutions. • It is well fit for real time applications. • The solution gives insightful views to solve the Dubins Traveling Salesman Problem.