Path Planning for Manipulator Robots in Cluttered Environments

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new path planning method for robot manipulators in cluttered environments, based on lazy grid sampling. Grid cells are built while searching for the path to the goal configuration. The proposed planner acts in two modes. A depth mode, while the robot is far from obstacles, makes it evolve toward its goal. While a width search mode becomes active when the robot gets close to an obstacle. This method provides the shortest path to go around the obstacle. It also reduces the gap between pre-computed grid methods and lazy grid methods. No heuristic function is needed to guide the search process. An example dealing with a robot in a cluttered environment is presented to show the efficiency of the method.

Mobile robot arm trajectory generation for operation in confined environments

“…Lahouar et al 23 and Klanke et al 24 employ grid-based methods for path planning of manipulators in C-space, whereby the grid is developed for a path directly from the start configuration to the end configuration, but does not consider any obstacle unless it crosses the path. This reduces the computational cost of the path generation, and this method has merit for the application of IED disposal since it involves edge following.…”

Collision Free Path Planning for Multi-DoF Manipulators

“…Here, we propose two methods to solve the path planning problem. The first method (Lahouar et al, 2005a ;Lahouar et al, 2005b) can be qualified as a global method. It is suitable for serial robot manipulators in cluttered static environments.…”