Path planning

A system comprising:

• at least one memory storing:
• data relating to an environment including locations of any obstacles located in the environment;
• data relating to path planning comprising locations of a start point and a target point, a plurality of waypoints, a sequence of the plurality of waypoints, and a clearance threshold;
• a path planning engine comprising at least one processor, and configured to iteratively process each of the plurality of waypoints to determine an obstacle-free path between a start point and a target point,
• wherein, to process each of the plurality of waypoints the path planning engine is configured to identify an obstacle closest to a waypoint of interest, calculate a first distance between the waypoint of interest and the identified closest obstacle, and subsequently update data corresponding to a location of the waypoint of interest to change the location of the waypoint of interest when the first distance is less than the clearance threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• provide a plurality of waypoints wherein the plurality of waypoints are linearly distributed between a start point and a target point;
• determine a sequence for the plurality of waypoints where a first waypoint is positioned at the start point and a last waypoint is positioned at the target point;
• and
• processing each of the plurality of waypoints in the sequence iteratively from a second waypoint to the last waypoint,
• wherein the step of processing comprises identifying an obstacle closest to a waypoint of interest and calculating a first distance between the waypoint of interest and the identified closest obstacle, and subsequently changing a location of the waypoint of interest when the first distance is less than a clearance threshold.