A Nautical Chart Path Planning Method for Unmanned Surface Vehicles Based on Safe Fast Jump Point Search

To address the path planning challenges for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) in marine environments, we propose an improved jump point search algorithm, the Safe Fast Jump Point Search (SFJPS). Traditional path planning algorithms, such as $A^{*}$ and JPS, perform well in static environments but face challenges in complex scenarios with high real-time requirements. To overcome these limitations, SFJPS introduces four key innovations: redefining jump point determination rules to prevent paths from diagonally crossing obstacles, incorporating an angle-based priority search mechanism to reduce redundant nodes, leveraging grid traversal to identify key jump points and minimizing path turns, and integrating Bézier curves to ensure smooth path transitions. Experimental results demonstrate that SFJPS outperforms A*, JPS, and Theta* in terms of path length, computation time, and the number of paths turns in both simple and nautical chart scenarios. Furthermore, SFJPS exhibits enhanced safety and efficiency in marine chart path planning, making it particularly suitable for applications requiring rapid path planning.