Improved Lee’s Algorithm on Electronic Maps

Abstract

This paper presents a routing algorithm with linear time complexity for computing the shortest path between a given set of cells on a digital electronic map (raster plane). By incorporating the nuclear fission chain reaction scheme, the path connection confined to a rectilinear movement in Lee’s algorithm, probably the most widely used method for finding paths on printed circuited boards and planning robot paths on grid spaces, is therefore overcome by the proposed method. Instead of Lee’s rectilinear or staircase approach, an oblique line method is employed to obtain the shortest path of two planar cells that is much closer to the actual path on the geographical map. This method can be extended to find the shortest paths for q vessels with the time complexity of O(qN), where N is the number of cells in the raster electronic charts.