Pelican

About

Pelican is a nature-inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm modeled on the hunting behavior of pelican birds, particularly their cooperative strategies for locating and catching prey. In the context of robotics and AI, the Pelican Optimization Algorithm (POA) is applied to solve complex engineering problems that involve searching large solution spaces for optimal or near-optimal outcomes. The algorithm mimics how pelicans identify prey locations and move toward them, balancing exploration of new regions with exploitation of promising solutions. In robotics, POA has been used to optimize mobile robot trajectory planning — enabling collision-free, efficient path generation from start to goal — as well as to enhance sensor measurement accuracy, such as calibrating ultrasonic distance sensors for improved environmental perception. Its appeal lies in its relatively simple implementation, few tuning parameters, and competitive convergence behavior compared to other evolutionary or swarm-based methods. For engineers, POA offers a practical tool for tackling nonlinear, multi-constraint optimization challenges common in robot motion planning, control tuning, and sensor fusion tasks.