Development and Analysis of an Improved Prototype within a Class of Bug-based Heuristic Path Planners

Path planning relies on free-space expansions. The Ray Path Finder (RPF) and RayScan algorithms solve the Euclidean shortest path problem. Both rely on free-space expansions by basing on the bug concept, which is to cast rays to a desired target and trace any obstructing contours. By combining heuristic costs, an optimal path can be found. In this work, a new and insightful analysis aiding future designs of this class of heuristic bug-based planners is provided. A rigorous proof for a modified Pledge in RPF is included. A corrected RPF prototype is designed to compare with Anya, a state-of-the-art free-space planner. The computational advantages of the heuristic bug-baed planners can offer are provided.