Improved A* Path Planning Algorithm Integrating Bezier Curves

To address the issues of low search efficiency, non-smooth paths, and excessive redundant nodes found in the traditional A* algorithm for path planning, an improved A* path planning algorithm incorporating Bezier curves is proposed. Initially, the traditional eight-neighborhood expansion is enhanced to a fourteen-neighborhood expansion, selecting the appropriate neighborhood extension direction based on the positional relationship between the current and target nodes. Subsequently, a key point extraction strategy is employed to eliminate redundant points and unnecessary turns in the path. Then, the algorithm integrates second-order and third-order Bezier curves to smooth the path. Finally, comparative simulation experiments of path planning are conducted in various obstacle scenarios. The results indicate that the improved A* algorithm has reduced the number of search expansion nodes and path turns by an average of 30.05% and 33.35%, respectively, increased the search efficiency by an average of 29.25%, and shortened the path length by an average of 16.9%, validating the effectiveness of the algorithm.