UAV path planning based on improved artificial potential field

Traditional artificial potential field (TAPF) method has a large trajectory swing and falls into the local minimum point potentially. In order to solve this problem, an improved artificial potential field is proposed. Firstly, on the basis of TAPF method, the angle and speed adjustment factors are introduced to simulate a more realistic flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Then, the auxiliary obstacle avoidance force is introduced to achieve obstacle avoidance while smoothing path. Finally, the simulation of the improved and TAPF method shows that the improved obstacle avoidance algorithm has a significant improvement in the smoothness of the trajectory compared with the traditional algorithm, and unmanned aerial vehicle avoids the local minimum and the local minimum point successfully. © 2021, Editorial Office of Systems Engineering and Electronics. All right reserved.