This article proposes a modification of hybrid A* method used for navigation of spherical mobile robots with the ability of limited partial lateral movement driven by pendulum. For pendulum-driven spherical robots with nonzero minimal turning radius, our modification helps to find a feasible and achievable path, which can be followed in line with the low time cost. Because of spherical shell shape, the robot is point contact with the ground, showing different kinematic model compared with common ground mobile robots such as differential robot and wheeled car-like robot. Therefore, this article analyzes the kinematic model of spherical robot and proposes a novel method to generate feasible and achievable paths conforming to kinematic constraints, which can be the initial value of future trajectory tracking control and further optimization. A concept of optimal robot’s minimum area for rotation is also proposed to improve search efficiency and ensure the ability of turning to any orientation by moving forward and backward in a finite number of times within limited areas.

本文提出了一种用于球面移动机器人导航的混合A *方法的改进，该方法具有由摆锤驱动的有限的局部横向运动的能力。对于具有最小非零最小转弯半径的摆锤式球形机器人，我们的改进有助于找到一条可行且可实现的路径，并且可以遵循该路径以降低时间成本。由于采用球形壳体形状，因此机器人与地面点接触，与常见的地面移动机器人（如差动机器人和轮式汽车机器人）相比，其运动学模型有所不同。因此，本文对球形机器人的运动学模型进行了分析，提出了一种新的方法来生成符合运动学约束的可行且可实现的路径，可以作为未来轨迹跟踪控制和进一步优化的初始值。