Improved Path Planning for Multi-Robot Systems Using a Hybrid Probabilistic Roadmap and Genetic Algorithm Approach

Abstract

This study focuses on the development and application of an improved Probabilistic Roadmap (PRM) algorithm enhanced with Genetic Algorithms (GA) for multi-robot path planning in dynamic environments. Traditional PRM-based methods often struggle with optimizing path length and minimizing turns, particularly in complex, multi-agent scenarios. To address these limitations, we propose a hybrid PRM-GA approach that incorporates genetic operators to evolve optimal paths for multiple robots in real-time.The research contribution is an enhanced PRM-GA framework that improves efficiency in multi-robot navigation by integrating evolutionary techniques for dynamic obstacle handling and optimized path generation.The research methodology involves testing the algorithm in various environments, including varying robot numbers and environmental complexities, to evaluate its scalability and effectiveness. Our results demonstrate that the PRM-GA algorithm successfully reduces both path lengths and turn counts compared to standard PRM-based methods, ensuring collision-free and smooth paths. The algorithm showed robust performance across different scenarios, effectively handling dynamic obstacles and multi-agent coordination. However, in highly dynamic environments with rapidly changing obstacles and constraints, the algorithm may occasionally produce paths with turn counts and distances similar to or slightly higher than those of simpler approaches due to the need for frequent re-optimization. Future research can explore incorporating additional factors such as energy consumption and time optimization, alongside distance and turns, to further enhance the algorithm's efficiency in real-world applications. Overall, the PRM-GA approach advances the state of the art by offering a more adaptable and scalable solution for multi-robot path planning, with applications in logistics, industrial automation, and autonomous robotics.