A method for finding least‐cost corridors in three‐dimensional raster space

Optimal routing of a path with constant width in two-dimensional grid cost-weighted square cells or pixels is recent extension the least-cost problem, and models solutions are available ready to be integrated into raster-based geographic information systems. In this article we consider yet another variation problem three-dimensional cubic voxels, which find tubular region voxels width, referred here as “corridor,” connecting two termini while accumulating least amount cost. We model corridor sequence sets called “neighborhoods,” that arranged 26-hedral form, design heuristic method such neighborhoods sweeps minimum volume, test its performance computer-generated random data. Results show finds low-cost, if not least-cost, specified cost has reasonable efficiency complexity O(n2), where n number input independent width. A major drawback found may self-intersect, often only an undesirable quality but also makes estimation volume inaccurate.