A Pareto Optimal D* Search Algorithm for Multiobjective Path Planning

Abstract: Path planning is one of the most vital elements of mobile robotics, providing the agent with a collision-free route through the workspace. The global path plan can be calculated with a variety of informed search algorithms, most notably the A* search method, guaranteed to deliver a complete and optimal solution that minimizes the path cost. D* is widely used for its dynamic replanning capabilities. Path planning optimization typically looks to minimize the distance traversed from start to goal, but many mobile robot applications call for additional path planning objectives, presenting a multiobjective optimization (MOO) problem. Common search algorithms, e.g. A* and D*, are not well suited for MOO problems, yielding suboptimal results. The search algorithm presented in this paper is designed for optimal MOO path planning. The algorithm incorporates Pareto optimality into D*, and is thus named D*-PO. Non-dominated solution paths are guaranteed by calculating the Pareto front at each search step. Simulations were run to model a planetary exploration rover in a Mars environment, with five path costs. The results show the new, Pareto optimal D*-PO outperforms the traditional A* and D* algorithms for MOO path planning.