A route planning for oil sample transportation based on improved A* algorithm

The traditional A* algorithm suffers from issues such as sharp turning points in the path, weak directional guidance during the search, and a large number of computed nodes. To address these problems, a modified approach called the Directional Search A* algorithm along with a path smoothing technique has been proposed. Firstly, the Directional Search A* algorithm introduces an angle constraint condition through the evaluation function. By converting sharp turns into obtuse angles, the path turning points become smoother. This approach reduces the occurrence of sharp turns in the path, resulting in improved path smoothness. Secondly, the algorithm enhances the distance function to strengthen the directional guidance during the path search. By optimizing the distance function, the algorithm tends to prefer directions that lead towards the target, which helps reduce the search space and shorten the overall path planning time. Additionally, the algorithm removes redundant nodes along the path, resulting in a more concise path representation. Lastly, the algorithm proposes an improved step size adjustment method to optimize the number of path nodes obtained. By appropriately adjusting the step size, the algorithm further reduces the number of nodes, leading to improved path planning efficiency. By applying these methods together, the Directional Search A* algorithm effectively addresses the limitations of the traditional A* algorithm and produces smoother and more efficient path planning results. Simulation experiments comparing the modified A* algorithm with the traditional A* algorithm were conducted using MATLAB. The experimental results demonstrate that the improved A* algorithm can generate shorter paths, with reduced planning time and smoother trajectories. This indicates that the Directional Search A* algorithm, incorporating the angle constraint condition in the evaluation function and the direction-guided strategy, outperforms the traditional A* algorithm in path planning and provides better solutions to the existing issues.