Comparative Analysis of UAV Path Planning Algorithms for Efficient Navigation in Urban 3D Environments

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Cheriet, Hichem, Badra, Khellat Kihel, Samira, Chouraqui
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Cheriet, Hichem
Badra, Khellat Kihel
Samira, Chouraqui
author_facet Cheriet, Hichem
Badra, Khellat Kihel
Samira, Chouraqui
contents The most crucial challenges for UAVs are planning paths and avoiding obstacles in their way. In recent years, a wide variety of path-planning algorithms have been developed. These algorithms have successfully solved path-planning problems; however, they suffer from multiple challenges and limitations. To test the effectiveness and efficiency of three widely used algorithms, namely A*, RRT*, and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), this paper conducts extensive experiments in 3D urban city environments cluttered with obstacles. Three experiments were designed with two scenarios each to test the aforementioned algorithms. These experiments consider different city map sizes, different altitudes, and varying obstacle densities and sizes in the environment. According to the experimental results, the A* algorithm outperforms the others in both computation efficiency and path quality. PSO is especially suitable for tight turns and dense environments, and RRT* offers a balance and works well across all experiments due to its randomized approach to finding solutions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_16515
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Comparative Analysis of UAV Path Planning Algorithms for Efficient Navigation in Urban 3D Environments
Cheriet, Hichem
Badra, Khellat Kihel
Samira, Chouraqui
Robotics
Artificial Intelligence
The most crucial challenges for UAVs are planning paths and avoiding obstacles in their way. In recent years, a wide variety of path-planning algorithms have been developed. These algorithms have successfully solved path-planning problems; however, they suffer from multiple challenges and limitations. To test the effectiveness and efficiency of three widely used algorithms, namely A*, RRT*, and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), this paper conducts extensive experiments in 3D urban city environments cluttered with obstacles. Three experiments were designed with two scenarios each to test the aforementioned algorithms. These experiments consider different city map sizes, different altitudes, and varying obstacle densities and sizes in the environment. According to the experimental results, the A* algorithm outperforms the others in both computation efficiency and path quality. PSO is especially suitable for tight turns and dense environments, and RRT* offers a balance and works well across all experiments due to its randomized approach to finding solutions.
title Comparative Analysis of UAV Path Planning Algorithms for Efficient Navigation in Urban 3D Environments
topic Robotics
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.16515