Global Navigation: Path Planning

This lecture covers the basics of mobile robotics with a focus on navigation. It starts by discussing the concept of global navigation and bio-inspired navigation. The lecture then delves into different approaches to path planning, including graph search strategies like breadth-first search, depth-first search, and best-first search (e.g. A*). Examples of path planning algorithms such as Dijkstra's Algorithm and Voronoi Diagrams are presented. The lecture also explores techniques like cell decomposition and potential field methods for path planning. Additionally, it introduces stigmergy-based path optimization using concepts like ant colony optimization. Practical examples and demonstrations are provided throughout the lecture.