Hybrid A*-Based Reverse Path-Planning of a Vehicle with Trailer System

2026-04-27

AI Summary

This work addresses the path planning challenge in reversing and parking articulated vehicles, which arises from the non-intuitive dynamics of multi-body systems and steering constraints. The paper proposes an improved Hybrid A* algorithm that incorporates a detailed vehicle-trailer kinematic model and explicitly accounts for configuration-dependent jackknife avoidance constraints. Notably, it integrates a complete collision-avoidance mechanism for dynamic obstacles within the Hybrid A* framework for the first time. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method efficiently generates feasible, collision-free reversing trajectories, effectively balancing the control requirements of multi-body systems with environmental obstacle avoidance in complex parking scenarios.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Motion and Path Planning
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Planning
• Multiagent Systems: Multiagent Planning

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Applied ML and AI for Web-based mobile applications
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Agentic search
• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web

Abstract

Reverse parking maneuvering of a vehicle with trailer system is a difficult task to complete for human drivers due to the multi-body nature of the system and the unintuitive controls required to orientate the trailer properly. The problem is complicated with the presence of other vehicles that the trailer and its connected vehicle must avoid during the reverse parking maneuver. While path planning methods in reverse motion for vehicles with trailers exist, there is a lack of results that also offer collision avoidance as part of the algorithm. This paper hence proposes a modified Hybrid A*-based algorithm that can accommodate the vehicle-trailer system as well as collision avoidance considerations with the other vehicles and obstacles in the parking environment. One of the novelties of this proposed approach is its adaptability to the vehicle with trailer system, where limits of usable steering input that prevent the occurrence of jackknife incidents vary with respect to system configuration. The other contribution is the addition of the collision avoidance functionality which the standard Hybrid A* algorithm lacks. The method is developed and presented first, followed by simulation case studies to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

Problem

• vehicle with trailer
• reverse parking
• path planning
• collision avoidance
• jackknife prevention

Innovation

• Hybrid A*
• vehicle-trailer system
• reverse parking
• collision avoidance
• jackknife prevention