Advanced hybrid path planning: integrating modified IRRT* with Bezier curve enhancements

Purpose Traditional Informed RRT* struggles with complex environments with narrow paths, local minima problem and ineffective distances between start and goal positions, leading to significant time lags and suboptimal performance resembling conventional RRT*. H-IRRT* overcomes these limitations by introducing B-RRT* with compliant segments based on sharp turns for the generation of flexible ellipse integrating with newly developed multiple control points in Bezier curves that reduces the trajectory tracking errors and enhancing path quality. This study aims to ensures efficient, smooth and safe trajectory planning while mitigating computational overhead and improving performance in high-complexity environments. Design/methodology/approach Collision-free time efficient navigation is the fundamental requirement in the field of unmanned vehicles. Conventional planning techniques provide the necessary solution to the various path optimization problem such as minimum length optimization, large turning/steering angle, computational load, local minima and collisions. However, an individual path planning approach will not resolve all the stated problems, therefore, hybrid solutions named H-IRRT* (Hybrid-IRRT*) that combines modified version of the Informed RRT* (M-IRRT*) with an improved Bezier path smoothing technique are proposed that resulted in safe and smooth trajectory generated to achieve collision-free time efficient navigation. Findings The proposed H-IRRT* algorithm demonstrates superior performance over existing path planning techniques, achieving a 3.27% reduction in computational load and 7.5% decrease in execution time in simulations and a 3.3% load reduction with 9.03% faster execution in real-world experiments, while ensuring complete elimination of collisions and sharp turns during the various trial and testing in unstructured environments. Originality/value The proposed H-IRRT* algorithm provides a significant solution for the path planning problems, which resulted in enhancing real-time performance with advanced heuristics and reduced computational costs for collision-free and smooth navigation in various application such as search and rescue, autonomous navigation, military surveillance, space exploration, smart cities and agriculture robotics.