<p>Path planning for robotic arms is currently one of the most prominent trends in robotics control science. The advancements in both theoretical and applied robotics have significantly increased the complexity of integrating robotic arms into everyday industrial tasks. A key factor contributing to this complexity is the need to avoid collisions with objects in the surrounding environment. This paper presents a three-stage approach to identify the optimal path planning method for the robotic arm, KUKA KR4 R600 robotic arm is used as applied case study. In the first stage, the path is planned without considering any obstacles in the workspace, utilizing a fifth-degree polynomial function. The second stage introduces obstacles, and the path is replanned using the potential field method. The final stage employs the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) to plan the path, whether obstacles are present or not. The theoretical results demonstrate the clear advantage of the WOA in both scenarios, achieving over a 30% improvement in reducing the total travel distance of the robotic arm’s end effector. Based on these findings, this paper supports the WOA as a superior path planning algorithm when compared to both the fifth-degree polynomial function and the potential field method for obstacle avoidance.</p>