Hybrid A*-Based Reverse Path-Planning of a Vehicle with Trailer System

TL;DR

This paper introduces a modified Hybrid A* algorithm for reverse path planning of vehicles with trailers, incorporating collision avoidance and adaptable steering limits to prevent jackknifing.

Contribution

It presents a novel, adaptable Hybrid A* approach that includes collision avoidance for trailer vehicles, addressing a gap in existing reverse path planning methods.

Findings

The proposed method effectively plans reverse paths with collision avoidance.

Simulation results demonstrate the algorithm's ability to prevent jackknifing.

The approach adapts to different vehicle-trailer configurations.

Abstract

Reverse parking maneuvering of a vehicle with trailer system is a difficult task to complete for human drivers due to the multi-body nature of the system and the unintuitive controls required to orientate the trailer properly. The problem is complicated with the presence of other vehicles that the trailer and its connected vehicle must avoid during the reverse parking maneuver. While path planning methods in reverse motion for vehicles with trailers exist, there is a lack of results that also offer collision avoidance as part of the algorithm. This paper hence proposes a modified Hybrid A*-based algorithm that can accommodate the vehicle-trailer system as well as collision avoidance considerations with the other vehicles and obstacles in the parking environment. One of the novelties of this proposed approach is its adaptability to the vehicle with trailer system, where limits of usable steering input that prevent the occurrence of jackknife incidents vary with respect to system configuration. The other contribution is the addition of the collision avoidance functionality which the standard Hybrid A* algorithm lacks. The method is developed and presented first, followed by simulation case studies to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.