Three-dimension path planning for UAV using improved A* algorithm in complicated threat environment

In order to improve the battle effectiveness of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under the in- creasingly complex threat environment, a three-dimension path planning method based on an A* al- gorithm is proposed and simulated in this paper which makes the UAV satisfy requirements of differ- ent missions. At first, the digital map information is processed with an integrated terrain smoothing algorithm, and a safe flight surface which integrates the vehicle dynamic is built and added on the terrain, and then, models of the complicated threats are established and integrated into the digital terrain. At last, an improved A* algorithm is used to plan the three-dimension path on the safe sur- face, and then smooth the path. Simulation results indicate that the approach has a good perform- ance in creating an optimal path in the three-dimension environment and the path planning algorithm is more simple, efficient and easily realized in the engineering field.