why SampleMani::search do not return true immediately when trees got connected?

[frankchan12138]

As show at

REMANI-Planner/remani_planner/path_searching/src/sample_mani_RRT.cpp

Line 521 in 2ddc9b2

// return true;

my question is why do not return at this line but just wait until max_mani_search_time_ tick？

Looking forward for your reply! Thanks!

[CK1201]

Hello,

That's a very insightful question.

The reason the code doesn't return immediately after finding the first valid path is to allow the planner to continue searching for a more optimal, shorter trajectory.

This approach is inspired by algorithms like RRT*. In a standard RRT, the search stops as soon as the first feasible path is found. However, in RRT*, the algorithm continues to sample and "rewire" the connections in the search tree even after an initial solution is found. This rewiring process helps to progressively improve the path, making it shorter.

By letting the search continue until the max_mani_search_time_ is reached, the planner uses the allocated time to find potentially much better paths than the first one it discovered. It's a trade-off between finding a solution quickly and finding a high-quality solution. In this case, the planner is designed to prioritize the quality of the trajectory.