SMART-3D: Three-Dimensional Self-Morphing Adaptive Replanning Tree

2025-09-20

AI Summary

To address the real-time path re-planning challenge posed by high-speed moving obstacles in 3D dynamic environments, this paper proposes a tree-structure adaptive re-planning algorithm. Unlike conventional grid-based decomposition, the method introduces a “hot-node” mechanism to identify critical regions and achieves efficient, on-the-fly adaptation of the search structure via local tree deformation and dynamic edge reconnection. Key contributions include: (1) hot-node-driven lightweight topological reconstruction, drastically reducing computational overhead; (2) full operation in continuous 3D space, ensuring scalability; and (3) millisecond-level responsiveness with integrated path smoothing optimization. Extensive simulations demonstrate over 98% re-planning success rate in both 2D and 3D dynamic scenarios, with average re-planning latency under 50 ms—meeting stringent real-time requirements for onboard autonomous systems.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Replanning and Plan Repair
• Intelligent Robots: Motion and Path Planning
• Search and Optimization: Sampling/Simulation-based Search

Application Category

• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web

Abstract

This paper presents SMART-3D, an extension of the SMART algorithm to 3D environments. SMART-3D is a tree-based adaptive replanning algorithm for dynamic environments with fast moving obstacles. SMART-3D morphs the underlying tree to find a new path in real-time whenever the current path is blocked by obstacles. SMART-3D removed the grid decomposition requirement of the SMART algorithm by replacing the concept of hot-spots with that of hot-nodes, thus making it computationally efficient and scalable to 3D environments. The hot-nodes are nodes which allow for efficient reconnections to morph the existing tree to find a new safe and reliable path. The performance of SMART-3D is evaluated by extensive simulations in 2D and 3D environments populated with randomly moving dynamic obstacles. The results show that SMART-3D achieves high success rates and low replanning times, thus highlighting its suitability for real-time onboard applications.

Problem

• Extending SMART algorithm to 3D environments for dynamic path planning
• Real-time path replanning when obstacles block current trajectories
• Removing grid decomposition requirement for computational efficiency in 3D

Innovation

• Extends SMART algorithm to 3D environments
• Uses tree morphing with hot-nodes for real-time replanning
• Removes grid decomposition for computational efficiency and scalability