Question

I need to create an algorithm where a "vehicle" covers a 1262 m x 1262 m area with 20% overlap between each "leg". The width of each leg is 103 m, which by my calculations gives 16 "legs" needed to cover this area. At the end of each leg, the vehicle does a 180 degree turn, and completes the next search leg. The vehicle is traveling at a constant speed of 23 meters/second

Now the reason I am asking this on SO are some issues:

1. What is the best way to handle
   the "position" of vehicle in
   relation to the speed? Do take 1
   second "snapshots" and just move the
   vehicle 23 meters? (This seems kind
   of rough around the edges)..

2. How do I handle the turns at the
   end of each leg with relation to the
   speed?

3. Should I preallocate the search
   leg parameters (IE find the bounds
   on each leg at initialization time)
   or dynamically calculate these at
   the end of each search leg?

4. I will be eventually
   implementing this algorithm in
   Java… What java
   functions/libraries will help me
   with the timing, math, etc?

5. What else do I need to consider?

EDIT

(Answering one of the responses)

Basically, there will be randomly placed "objects" throughout the search area that this needs to find… I was going to tackle that problem, once I got the vehicle going along the correct path and covering the area. The vehicle does cover area when it turns.. The minimum turn radius is 12 Meters.. I was just going to have it turn at the end of each search leg, and line up for the next leg

Answer 1

You might look into search algortihms designed for looking for aerial or diving searches for lost people, planes, shipwrecks, etc.

Another idea is to look into the use of “space-filling curves”. Some of Bartholdi’s work can be found here.