A comparative analysis of path planning algorithms for unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

In terms of trajectory planning, the main objective is to reach a certain location in the shortest time possible, avoiding obstacles along the way. This paper proposes two path planning methods, in an environment with presence of obstacles, Probabilistic RoadMap and a fusion between Voronoi diagram and Dijkstra's Algorithm. Path planning for both algorithms is developed in the XY coordinate plane, therefore only horizontal movement is considered. This means that the UAV must fly around obstacles and cannot fly over or under them. The use of two-dimensional space in favour of three-dimensional space reduces the implementation time of the algorithm for solving the problem. Finally, an analysis of the length and the computational time of the trajectories generated by the proposed algorithms is made.