Circular Obstacle Pathfinding (2017)

# Summary The A* pathfinding algorithm, commonly used for grid-based navigation, can work on any graph structure to find optimal paths around obstacles. To apply A* to circular obstacle environments, the forest is converted into a graph where nodes represent path endpoints and edges consist of straight line segments that "surf" between obstacles and curved arcs that "hug" around them. The algorithm evaluates partial paths using a priority queue sorted by estimated distance, expanding the most promising routes until it reaches the goal.