Route Planning Using Nature-Inspired Algorithms

There are many different heuristic algorithms for solving combinatorial optimization problems that are commonly described as Nature-Inspired Algorithms (NIAs). Generally, they are inspired by some natural phenomenon, and due to their inherent converging and stochastic nature, they are known to give optimal results when compared to classical approaches. There are a large number of applications of NIAs, perhaps the most popular being route planning problems in robotics - problems that require a sequence of translation and rotation steps from the start to the goal in an optimized manner while avoiding obstacles in the environment. In this chapter, we will first give an overview of Nature-Inspired Algorithms, followed by their classification and common examples. We will then discuss how the NIAs have applied to solve the route planning problem.