Path-planning algorithm for vehicles operating in orchards

This paper presents a relatively simple approach for determining optimal paths for car-like vehicles operating in orchards. The method relies on the vehicle's configuration space and uses the well-accepted A* algorithm to determine the optimal path, taking into account constraints that are specific to the type of vehicle and environment considered: limited steering angle, limited range of pitch and roll angles permissible, forward motion preferable, and frequent turning not desirable. All these constraints are expressed as penalty terms weighted via user-defined parameters that reflect the type of path implicitly sought by the user. A number of examples are presented, which show the ability of the procedure to find the optimal path in various situations and illustrate how the weighting parameters can be used to shape the solution.