Path planning in the presence of obstacles based on task requirements

Abstract

A B S T R A C TWe propose a novel and efficient scheme to plan a kinematically feasible path in the presence of obstacles according to task requirements. By employing a geometrical analysis, expressions can be derived to describe the relationship between the planned path, kinematic constraints, and obstacles in the robot workspace. The freedom available according to task requirements is then utilized to modify the infeasible portions of the planned path. To demonstrate the proposed scheme, a 6R (revolute) wrist-partitioned type of robot manipulator and a spherical obstacle are used as a case study. The results are then extended to general wrist-partitioned types of robot manipulators, and arbitrarily-shaped or multiple obstacles.