Multi-objective optimization in mobile robot path planning: A joint strategy of A∗ and simulated annealing algorithms

This paper proposes a novel optimization method for the A∗ algorithm to address the search efficiency problem in multi-objective path planning. The approach combines the A∗ algorithm with an annealing algorithm to enhance the quality and efficiency of path planning. Specifically, the traditional A∗ algorithm is improved by reducing the search direction, thereby decreasing the search space complexity and improving search efficiency. Additionally, an annealing algorithm is embedded within the A∗ framework. The annealing algorithm, based on the principle of simulated annealing, can avoid local optima by accepting inferior solutions with a certain probability. A series of experiments were conducted in a simulated environment, comparing the improved A∗ algorithm with other standard multi-objective path planning algorithms. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the quality of path planning.