Research On Fast Path Planning For AUV In Ocean Environment

As a main component of autonomous navigation system, global path planning plays an important role for an intelligent robot. For an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) , it is very important and complex that a safe and efficient paths can be searched in the presence of obstacles and other constraints. The problem of finding an optimal path (minimum cost) for an AUV is discussed, and a new approach based the tangent graph and layered environment is presented.Firstly, the background and significance of AUV's global path planning are introduced, and all the methods in solving global path planning problems are discussed as well, which includes Geometry method, Artificial Potential Field method, Genetic Algorithm and so on. Next, there is an introduction about related standards of Electronic Chart. The file component of the VCF Electronic Chart is analyzed. Finally, based on chart data, A star algorithm is applied in the global path planning problem with the AUV's tangent graph environment model, and it is tested by the simulation experiment.Saving energy is the main goal of global path planning. Motion characters of AUV influenced by sea current are mainly analyzed, and a plan algorithm which considers both length of path and sea current is given. In the same situation, shortest path planning and least energy consumed planning are emulated separately. Comparing results of emulation, global path planning which considers about influences of sea current has more practical significance. Algorithms given in this paper have less time in planning and can satisfy better in real time needs of global path planning.