Path-planning of underwater microrobot in 3-D space using spiral particle pathway searching approach

This paper studies the problem of Path-planning of underwater microrobot in three-dimensional space by developing a novel spiral particle pathway searching approach. We propose a kind of novel underwater multi-microrobot system which is consist of a mother submarine and several microrobots with ICPF (ionic conducting polymer film) actuators. A succeed path-planning of single robot can ensure the underwater multi-microrobot system complete multitask underwater. Considering the environmental factors of underwater space, we set up the environmental model of robot path-planning in 3-D space, the obstacle can be simplified as a solid sphere element and the robot can be simplified as a particle point. The three-dimensional underwater space is separated into several parts. Drawing upon the concept of the Grid Method and a Spiral Particle Pathway Searching Approach is developed and is used to search for particles in the pathway in the plane of parallel subspace. MATLAB is used to calculate the particles in order to search the best path to the target points in three-dimensional space. DPSO is used to optimize the path of a single robot. The simulation results demonstrate that, this method of global path-planning in three-dimensional space is possible and efficient.