Abstract: In order to realize the smooth optimal path planning of differential drive robot in obstacle avoidance environment, the author proposed a path planning algorithm for hybrid obstacle avoidance of differential drive robot based on Bézier curve. Firstly, the motion model of differential drive robot was established, which was used to control the linear speed of the left and right driving wheels to complete the turning and non-uniform motion of the robot. Secondly, by using Bézier curve to describe the path state, the path planning problem was transformed into the problem of generating Bézier curve finite point orientation optimization, which improved the motion smoothness of robot. Finally, genetic algorithm was introduced to simplify the two-dimensional path coding problem into one-dimensional coding problem, and the roadside constraints, dynamic obstacle avoidance requirements and shortest path requirements were mixed into fitness function. The robot could get rid of the local minima as soon as possible and successfully bypass the obstacles to reach the target point. The simulation results show that the obstacle avoidance path planning effect of this method is better, the distance of the obstacle avoidance path is 30.19 m, and the obstacle avoidance time is lower than that of the comparison methods, the longest obstacle avoidance time is 5.3 min.

Key words: Bézier curve, differential drive robot, obstacle avoidance path planning, motion law