Aerospace 2015, 2, 171-188; doi:10.3390/aerospace2020171
aerospace
ISSN 2226-4310
www.mdpi.com/journal/aerospace
Article
Development of Flight Path Planning for Multirotor
Aerial Vehicles
Yi-Ju Tsai
1
, Chia-Sung Lee
1
, Chun-Liang Lin
1,
* and Ching-Huei Huang
2
1
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan;
E-Mails: aboutsky@hotmail.com (Y.-J.T.); chiasoon@pchome.com.tw (C.-S.L.)
2
Aeronautical System Research Division, Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology,
Taichung 407, Taiwan; E-Mail: a5123933310@yahoo.com.tw
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: chunlin@dragon.nchu.edu.tw;
Tel.: +886-4-2285-1549 (ext. 708); Fax: +886-4-2285-1410.
Academic Editor: David Anderson
Received: 21 November 2014 / Accepted: 24 March 2015 / Published: 27 April 2015
Abstract: This study addresses the flight-path planning problem for multirotor aerial
vehicles (AVs). We consider the specific features and requirements of real-time flight-path
planning and develop a rapidly-exploring random tree (RRT) algorithm to determine a
preliminary flight path in three-dimensional space. Since the path obtained by the RRT may
not be optimal due to the existence of redundant waypoints. To reduce the cost of energy
during AV’s flight, the excessive waypoints need to be refined. We revise the A-star
algorithm by adopting the heading of the AV as the key indices while calculating the cost.
Bezier curves are finally proposed to smooth the flight path, making it applicable for
real-world flight.
Keywords: flight path planning; rapidly-exploring random tree algorithm; A-star algorithm;
three-dimensional space
1. Introduction
A multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a rotorcraft with more than two rotors to enhance
payload capability and endurance. UAVs are widely used in military strategy, disaster relief, exploration,
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