Multi-Scale Cell Decomposition for Path Planning using Restrictive Routing Potential Fields

In burgeoning domains such as urban goods distribution, the advent of aerial transportation necessitates the development of routing solutions that prioritize safe navigation. This paper introduces Larp, a novel path planning and navigation framework that leverages the concept of repulsive potential fields as continuous cost maps to forge safe routes. The algorithm achieves it by segmenting the potential field into a hierarchy of cells, each with a designated risk zone determined by the proximity of obstacles. The meshing allows the airspace to be partitioned based on an area's potential for restriction violations, enabling navigation that is aware of these risks. While the primary impetus behind Larp is to enhance the safety of aerial pathways for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in urban air mobility, its utility extends to a wide array of routing scenarios. Comparative analyses with both established and contemporary potential field-based methods reveal Larp's proficiency in maintaining a safe distance from restrictions and its adeptness in circumventing local minima. Additionally, large-scale aerial path planning of Austin, TX demonstrates Larp's capability to be implemented at a large scale.

@article{rivera2025_2408.02786,
  title={ Multi-Scale Cell Decomposition for Path Planning using Restrictive Routing Potential Fields },
  author={ Josue N. Rivera and Dengfeng Sun },
  journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2408.02786},
  year={ 2025 }
}