
Optimization-based Motion Planning for Autonomous Parking
Considering Dynamic Obstacle: A Hierarchical Framework
Xuemin Chi1, Zhitao Liu1, Jihao Huang1, Feng Hong1, Hongye Su1
1. State Key Laboratory of Industrial, Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 110004
E-mail: chixuemin@zju.edu.cn, ztliu@zju.edu.cn, jihaoh@zju.edu.cn, hogfeg@zju.edu.cn, hysu@iipc.zju.edu.cn
Abstract: This paper introduces a hierarchical framework that integrates graph search algorithms and model predictive
control to facilitate efficient parking maneuvers for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in constrained environments. In the high-
level planning phase, the framework incorporates scenario-based hybrid A* (SHA*), an optimized variant of traditional
Hybrid A*, to generate an initial path while considering static obstacles. This global path serves as an initial guess
for the low-level NLP problem. In the low-level optimizing phase, a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC)-based
framework is deployed to circumvent dynamic obstacles. The performance of SHA* is empirically validated through 148
simulation scenarios, and the efficacy of the proposed hierarchical framework is demonstrated via a real-time parallel
parking simulation.
Key Words: autonomous parking, trajectory planning, model predictive control, dynamic obstacles
1 INTRODUCTION
Autonomous parking systems are a critical component of
autonomous driving technologies. These systems comprise
several interrelated modules such as sensing, localization,
decision-making, planning, and control [1]. This paper nar-
rows its focus to address challenges in the planning module
of autonomous parking systems.
In an autonomous parking system, the planning module
is primarily responsible for generating a viable trajectory
that allows the vehicle to park in a designated space with-
out colliding with any obstacles. This trajectory is subse-
quently executed by a lower-level control module [2]. The
task of trajectory planning encompasses two major con-
cerns: comfort and collision avoidance. An optimal trajec-
tory minimizes time, while also considering factors such
as passenger comfort and vehicular stability. In this con-
text, we propose a hierarchical framework that integrates
graph search algorithms with nonlinear model predictive
control methods to generate safe and efficient parking tra-
jectories, even in constrained environments populated by
dynamic obstacles.
1.1 Graph Search-based methods
Graph search methods are a popular choice in the realm of
path planning due to their computational efficiency relative
to generic optimization techniques. In this approach, the
environment is discretized into a grid, within which nodes
are sampled based on specific rules. Subsequently, an algo-
rithm searches for the optimal nodes that form the desired
This work was partially supported by National Key R&D Pro-
gram of China (Grant NO. 2021YFB3301000); Science Fund for Cre-
ative Research Group of the National Natural Science Foundation of
China (Grant NO.61621002), National Natural Science Foundation of
China (NSFC:62173297), Zhejiang Key R&D Program (Grant NO.
2021C01198,2022C01035).
path. Although these methods are typically computation-
ally efficient in low-dimensional spaces, their performance
deteriorates in higher dimensions. Furthermore, the result-
ing paths are often sub-optimal.
Conventional deterministic graph search algorithms, such
as A* and Hybrid A [3], rely on fixed motion primitives for
sampling. The motion primitives in Hybrid A* are particu-
larly well-suited to accommodate the non-holonomic con-
straints of vehicles. Stochastic graph search techniques like
Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT) [4] and its vari-
ants [5, 6] employ random sampling within grids. While
these methods can be more flexible, they often produce
paths with curvature discontinuities, making them unsuit-
able for immediate use without further refinement.
1.2 Related work
Two primary approaches dominate the landscape of path
and trajectory planning for autonomous parking: search-
based methods and optimization-based methods. While the
former offers computational efficiency, the latter allows for
a more nuanced consideration of a vehicle’s dynamic or
kinematic characteristics through model-based algorithms.
Optimization-based methods also have the capability to
handle complex constraints such as comfort and stability
through mathematical modeling.
Zhang et al. [7] proposed the optimization-based collision
avoidance (OBCA) algorithm, which reformulates colli-
sion avoidance as smooth constraints using duality and
Slater’s condition. Despite these advances, their method
is not suitable for real-time applications and struggles with
dynamic obstacles.
Model predictive control has been extensively employed in
trajectory planning and tracking due to its ability to manage
multiple constraints effectively [8]. Soloperto et al. [9] ap-
plied OBCA within a tube-based robust MPC framework
arXiv:2210.13112v3 [cs.RO] 14 Nov 2023