A Comparative Study of Graph Search Algorithms for Planar Manipulator to Avoid Obstacle Collision

Abstract

The search algorithms are characterized by their ability to find the optimal path in a short calculation time. In this study, a comparative analysis has been conducted to perform path planning of planar manipulator for static obstacle avoidance based on graph search algorithms. Four methods have been taken into account to establish a comparison platform; namely, conventional A*, modified A*, Chaos A*, and circulation heuristic search (CHS) algorithms. The performance of comparison is evaluated in terms of length of optimal path and consumption time of calculation. All algorithms have been coded and simulated within the MATLAB software environment. According to computer simulation, the results showed that CHS algorithms outperform the other graph search ones in terms of generated path length, while the Choas A* could give the least calculation time as compared to its counterparts. Index Terms— Path planning, A-Star, Modified A-Star, Chaos A-Star, CHS, Planar manipulator.