A Geometric Path Planner for Car-like Robots

This technical brief presents a refined slabbing method, originally used for free-flying robots, for finding efficient paths for nonholonomic robots. Our method takes kinematic constraints and reversal maneuvers into account. We create orientation levels for each orientation configuration of the robot. The slopes of slabbing lines in each orientation level match the orientation of a robot in that level. The resulting slabbing lines act as “rails” to guide the robot. Thus, a robot, if it keeps moving in a given orientation level, can only translate straight forward or straight backward along a given slabbing line. Limiting robot movement to straight forward or straight backward along a slabbing line prevents the robot from violating kinematic constraints, by moving sideways to another slabbing line. [S1050-0472(00)01403-3]