A novel method for the real-time globally optimal path planning of mobile robots is proposed based on the ant colony system (ACS) algorithm. This method includes three steps: the first step is utilizing the MAKLINK graph theory to establish the free space model of the mobile robot, the second step is utilizing the Dijkstra algorithm to find a sub-optimal collision-free path, and the third step is utilizing the ACS algorithm to optimize the location of the sub-optimal path so as to generate the globally optimal path. The result of computer simulation experiment shows that the proposed method is effective and can be used in the real-time path planning of mobile robots. It has been verified that the proposed method has better performance in convergence speed, solution variation, dynamic convergence behavior, and computational efficiency than the path planning method based on the genetic algorithm with elitist model.

A novel method of global optimal path planning for mobile robot was proposed based on the improved Dijkstra algorithm and ant system algorithm. This method includes three steps: the first step is adopting the MAK-LINK graph theory to establish the free space model of the mobile robot, the second step is adopting the improved Dijkstra algorithm to find out a sub-optimal collision-free path, and the third step is using the ant system algorithm to adjust and optimize the location of the sub-optimal path so as to generate the global optimal path for the mobile robot. The computer simulation experiment was carried out and the results show that this method is correct and effective. The comparison of the results confirms that the proposed method is better than the hybrid genetic algorithm in the global optimal path planning.