A fast, reliable mapping and path planning method is essential to autonomous mobile robots. Popular global algorithms usually adopt occupancy gird maps (OGM) or a topological map (TM) to generate a practicable path. In this paper, we present a new path planning algorithm based on the image thinning process and the extraction of key nodes. It requires much less time and memory compared with the OGM method for generating a path, and much simpler, more robust than the TM, while preserving advantages of both. With the new algorithm, a collision-free path could be obtained in real time, Results from simulation experiments validate its efficiency and reliability.
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