An algorithm that uses artificial potential fields to aid in the path planning of autonomous underwater vehicles is presented. The planning consists of applying potential fields around the obstacles and using the field to select a safe path for the robot to follow. In the method presented, a trial path is chosen and then modified under the influence of the potential field until an appropriate path is found. By considering the entire path, the problem of being trapped in a local minimum is greatly reduced, allowing the method to be used for global planning. The algorithm was tried with success on many different planning problems. The examples illustrate the algorithm applied to 2D and 3D planning problems.
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