Application of hybrid A* to an autonomous mobile robot for path planning in unstructured outdoor environments

Efficient path planning is one of the main prerequisites for robust navigation of autonomous robots. Especially driving in complex environments containing both streets and unstructured regions is a challenging problem. In this paper we present the application of the Hybrid A* algorithm to a nonholonomic mobile outdoor robot in order to plan near optimal paths in mostly unknown and potentially intricate environments. The implemented algorithm is capable of generating paths with a rate of at least 10 Hz to guarantee real-time behavior.