Real-Time Optimal Path Planning Using a Distributed Computing Paradigm

Path planning may be viewed as an optimal control problem which can be addressed using dynamic programming. The optimal control (i.e. path) is obtained after solving Bellman\´s dynamic programming equation for an "optimal return fuction". This paper proposes solving the Bellman equation using distributed computing paradigms which are, effectively, hardware implementations of the Bellman equation\´s variational solution. The approach promises to be globally optimal, fast, and easily implemented on existing parallel computing machines.