The Culebra Algorithm for Path Planning and Obstacle Avoidance in Kat-5

Abstract

Kat-5 was the fourth vehicle to successfully finish the DARPA 2005 Grand Challenge; the first time ever that autonomous vehicles were able to successfully complete such a task. In this paper, we describe the methods that were used to develop the vehicle's path planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms, which allowed Kat-5 to successfully navigate completely autonomously the 132 miles course over rough and previously unrehearsed and unknown terrain at relatively high speeds