Dictionary-Labeled A*: Optimal Path-and-Posture Planning for Mobile Robots With Turning Radius Constraints

In this letter, we introduce an algorithm called Dictionary-Labeled A* (DL-A*), which addresses the critical problem of path-and-posture planning for mobile robots with turning radius constraints. DL-A* utilizes a dictionary to store and process multi-element information within an enhanced topological map. The algorithm categorizes the edges in the map into forward driving and reverse driving states, and constructs sets of successive states that adhere to road segment constraints through map pre-processing. Subsequently, the A* algorithm is employed to find an optimal path to reach the endpoint while satisfying the end posture constraint, with the objective of minimizing the total travelling cost. Simulation results demonstrate that, in comparison to other popular algorithms, our algorithm offers the capability to adapt the robot's forward and reverse driving postures to minimize total cost, and exhibits exceptional searching efficiency.