Efficient and Scalable Path-Planning Algorithms for Curvature Constrained Motion in the Hamilton-Jacobi Formulation

Abstract: We present a partial-differential-equation-based optimal path-planning framework for curvature constrained motion, with application to vehicles in 2- and 3-spatial-dimensions. This formulation relies on optimal control theory, dynamic programming, and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations. We develop efficient and scalable algorithms for solutions of high dimensional Hamilton-Jacobi equations which can solve these types of path-planning problems efficiently, even in high dimensions, while maintaining the Hamilton-Jacobi formulation. Because our method is rooted in optimal control theory and has no black box components, it has solid interpretability, and thus averts the tradeoff between interpretability and efficiency for high-dimensional path-planning problems. We demonstrate our method with several examples.