A New Path Generation Algorithm Based on Accurate NURBS Curves

Abstract

The process of finding an optimum, smooth and feasible global path for mobile robot navigation usually involves determining the shortest polyline path, which will be subsequently smoothed to satisfy the requirements. Within this context, this paper deals with a novel roadmap algorithm for generating an optimal path in terms of Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) curves. The generated path is well constrained within the curvature limit by exploiting the influence of the weight parameter of NURBS and/or the control points' locations. The novelty of this paper lies in the fact that NURBS curves are not used only as a means of smoothing, but they are also involved in meeting the system's constraints via a suitable parameterization of the weights and locations of control points. The accurate parameterization of weights allows for a greater benefit to be derived from the influence and geometrical effect of this factor, which has not been well investigated in previous works. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through extensive MATLAB computer simulations.