Algorithm for Automatic Path Routing in Mountain Areas

The main purpose of the research is to achieve a fully automated technique for calculation of new trails in the mountain areas. The main idea is to provide the user with a possibility to move around the area regardless of the existing routes, which can make the user independent of using trails. Such a concept is nowadays getting a lot of attention due to the growing need for revitalisation and enabling new areas to be used for tourism and educational purposes. Moreover, the proposed solution can become a useful tool for emergency services, foresters or park employees. The main project assumption was to create a tool able to find a new path between two locations given a set of input parameters provided by the user. The new path had to be distinct from any existing paths in the area. The algorithm was designed to be a solution for path routing in poorly recognised areas or within big acreage as it can take a long time to explore the area in enough detail manually create a plan of the new path. The result of the project is the new ArcMap toolbox, built with a help of spatial analysis tools of the ArcGIS platform. The project uses GIS methods, taking advantage of remote sensing, spatial analyses and Python scripting. This makes it possible to create an automatic tool that is able to process various data in a relatively short time (comparing to manual work on planning new paths). As the end result algorithm generates a map with least cost path, which after conversion to GPX file is ready to use with supporting devices, e.g. smartphones. The project has been verified in the surroundings of Gorczanski National Park in southern Poland. Performed tests allowed to find optimal settings and proved that an algorithm works correctly.