Bezier Curve Path Planning for Autonomous Agricultural Robots in Headland Turning

This study investigates the use of third-order Bezier curves for autonomous path planning in agricultural robots, focusing on headland turning and inter-row navigation. A Bezier trajectory with four control points and parameters L1 (0.6 m) and L2 (0 m) generates smooth, curvilinear paths, producing nine micro-waypoints spaced ~10 cm apart. Orientation angles are computed using arctangent functions, and velocities are determined from Euclidean distances and timing, peaking at 0.634 m s⁻¹. Laboratory experiments validate the method’s feasibility for small-scale agricultural robots, though average error is higher than camera- or simulation-based approaches. A field study in the ARPJ Journal, Vol. 11, No. 5, March 2016, evaluated ten routes, with Route 1 showing the lowest error (0.1007 m). The Bezier method proves effective for custom path profiles despite higher error rates. Funded by the RIF Fund.