Path planning for tractor-trailer mobile robot system based on equivalent size

Tractor-trailer wheeled mobile robot is a complicated system, which is composed of a tractor and multiple trailers. As the path width changes with the different turning angles, as its path planning is complicated accordingly. On the base of presenting the kinematics equations of the tractor-trailer mobile robot, the maximum path width is deduced when the robot runs at the maximum turning angle. And this path width is named as equivalent size. Then genetic algorithmic is applied for the path planning method of tractor-trailer mobile robot. Firstly, the barriers are enlarged step by step with equivalent size. Then the vicinities around the barriers and the block neck zone are analyzed and labeled. The fitness function is defined according to both the path length and path width. Finally, the genetic algorithm is adopted to solve the whole path planning problem.