Comparative Analysis of A-Star Search and RRT for Autonomous Free-Flying Bots

Effective path planning is crucial for autonomous flying robots in 3D spaces. This study analyzes A-star search and RRT algorithms for guiding flying robots independently. By assessing route length, pathfinding time, and cost, we highlight algorithm strengths and weaknesses. A-star consistently finds shorter paths faster than RRT in grid setups, but RRT has a lower computational cost. Moreover, RRT’s cost increases linearly with maze size, while A-star’s costs grow exponentially. These factors are essential in selecting a controller for the free-flying robot, aiding in real-world applications in autonomous flying robot navigation.