Path planning of robot refers to the planning of an optimal collision-free path from the starting position to destination according to a certain optimization strategy.There are two suggested techniques covering all approaches in robot path planning:the traditional method and the heuristic method.This paper reviews the research status of different heuristic approaches in robot path planning and optimization, and then analyzes the performance and applicable scenarios of different algorithms.In addition, the latest technological progresses are also presented considering the superior quality of the artificial potential field method in the path planning.Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of various algorithms are analyzed, and it is proposed that the deep integration of the algorithms should be the future direction of the path planning technology.