An improved parameterized approach for real time optimal motion planning of AUV moving in dynamic environment

Abstract

In this paper, we present an improved analytic method to the optimal trajectory generation of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in a dynamic environment. The proposed approach explicitly incorporates both the AUV kinematic and the geometric constraints due to dynamic obstacles and the terrain while rendering the near-shortest path by a performance index related to the path length. In particular, the proposed design is based on a family of parameterized trajectories determined by three adjustable parameters, which provides a unified way to reformulate the geometric constraints and performance index into a set of parameterized constraint equations. To that end, such a constrained optimization problem boils down to optimize those adjustable parameters, which can be analytically solved in the parameter space. The proposed solution enhances the methodologies of real-time path planning for robots in 3D environment. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.