Multiple query probabilistic roadmap planning using single query planning primitives

We propose a combination of techniques that solve multiple queries for motion planning problems m t h single query planners. OUT implementation uses Q probabilistic roadmap method (PRM) with bidirec-tional rapidly ezploring random trees (BI-RRT) as the local planner. With small modifications to the standard algorithms, we obtain a multiple query plan-ner which is significantly faster and more reliable than its component parts. OUT method provides a smooth spectrum between the PRM and BI-RRT tech-niques and obtains the advantages of both. W e ob-served that the performance differences are most no-table en planning instances weth several r igid non-wnvez robots in a scene with narrow passages. OUT work is in the spirit of non-uniform sampling and refinement techniques used in earlier work on PRM.