A robotic arm assembly includes a robotic arm, a base, and a utility member, the robotic arm extending between a root end attached to the base and a distal end including the utility member. A method for controlling the robotic arm assembly includes: determining a position of the base, the root end, or both relative to the environment; determining a task position and orientation for the utility member within the environment; determining a three-dimensional constraint of the environment; and determining a path for the robotic arm through the environment based on each of the position of the base, the root end, or both relative to the environment, the task position and orientation for the utility member within the environment, and the three-dimensional constraint of the environment.

An interference determination apparatus includes: an acquisition unit that acquires region information indicating regions set in a configuration space in which the angles of rotation of two or three specific joints of an articulated robot are indicated by coordinate axes, the regions including an interference region in which the robot is determined to interfere with itself or an obstacle based on the magnitudes of the angles of rotation of the specific joints, and a non-interference region in which the robot is determined to not interfere with itself or an obstacle based on the magnitudes of the angles of rotation of specific joints; and a determination unit that determines whether the robot interferes with itself or an obstacle, by determining whether coordinates indicating a posture determined by the angles of rotation of the specific joints belong to the interference region or the non-interference region indicated by the acquired region information.

Solutions for multi-robot configurations are co-optimized, to at least some degree, across a set of non-homogenous parameters based on a given set of tasks to be performed by robots in a multi-robot operational environment. Non-homogenous parameters may include two or more of: the respective base position and orientation of the robots, an allocation of tasks to respective robots, respective target sequences and/or trajectories for the robots. Such may be executed pre-runtime. Output may include for each robot: workcell layout, an ordered list or vector of targets, optionally dwell time durations at respective targets, and paths or trajectories between each pair of consecutive targets. Output may provide a complete, executable, solution to the problem, which in the absence of variability in timing, can be used to control the robots without any modification. A genetic algorithm, e.g., Differential Evolution, may optionally be used in generating a population of candidate solutions.

A robot collision avoidance motion planning technique using a worst state search and optimization. The motion planning technique begins with a geometric definition of obstacles, start and goal points, and an initial set of waypoints which may be sparsely spaced. Given an inter-point interpolation method such as linear or spline, a continuous trajectory can be described as a function of the waypoints and an arc length parameter. A worst state search is then performed which finds a location between each adjacent pair of waypoints having a worst state of distance to obstacle, considering all parts of the robot and tool. A collision avoidance constraint is defined using the worst state locations, and an optimization of the waypoint locations is then performed to improve the worst states until all collisions are eliminated and an obstacle avoidance minimum distance criteria is met.

A path generation device including an acquisition unit, a setting unit, and a path generation unit. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire pose information relating to an initial pose and a target pose of a robot, position information relating to a position of the robot, obstacle information including a position of an obstacle present in a range of interference with the robot, and specification information relating to a specification including a shape of the robot. The setting unit is configured to, based on a positional relationship between the robot and the obstacle, set a clearance amount representing an amount of clearance to avoid the interference for at least one out of the robot or an obstacle present in a range of interference with the robot. The path generation unit is configured to generate path information related to a path of the robot based on the initial pose and the target pose of the robot, the position of the robot, the position of the obstacle, the shape of the robot, and the clearance amount set by the setting unit.

The present teaching relates to method, system, medium, and implementations for robot path planning. Depth data of obstacles, acquired by depth sensors deployed in a 3D robot workspace and represented with respect to a sensor coordinate system, is transformed into depth data with respect to a robot coordinate system. The 3D robot workspace is discretized to generate 3D grid points representing a discretized 3D robot workspace. Based on the depth data with respect to the robot coordinate system, binarized values are assigned to at least some of 3D grid points to generate a binarized representation for the obstacles present in the 3D robot workspace. With respect to one or more sensing points associated with a part of a robot, it is determined whether the part is to collide with any obstacle. Based on the determining, a path is planned for the robot to move along while avoiding any obstacle.

The present teaching relates to a method and system for path planning. Information of a current pose of a robotic arm having a plurality of operable segments is obtained. The information includes a plurality of values, each of which corresponds to an angle formed between consecutive operable segments of the robotic arm. A desired pose where the robotic arm needs to reach is also obtained. An angle step-value is computed for the current pose of the robotic arm based on a function of a distance between the current pose and the desired pose, wherein the angle step value is to be used to determine a plurality of candidate next poses of the plurality of operable segments. One or more of candidate next poses is selected based on at least one criterion, and a trajectory is determined from the current pose to the desired pose based on the selected next poses.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer-readable storage devices, for robot navigation using 2D and 3D path planning. In the disclosed method, a robot accesses map data indicating two-dimensional layout of objects in a space and evaluates candidate paths for the robot to traverse. In response to determining that the candidate paths do not include a collision-free path across the space for a two-dimensional profile of the robot, the robot evaluates a three-dimensional shape of the robot with respect to a three-dimensional shape of an object in the space. Based on the evaluation of the three-dimensional shapes, the robot determines a collision-free path to traverse through the space.

The present teaching relates to a method and system for path planning. A target is tracked via one or more sensors. Information of a desired pose of an end-effector with respect to the target and a current pose of the end-effector is obtained. Also, a minimum distance permitted between an arm including the end-effector and each of at least one obstacle identified between the current pose of the end-effector and the target is obtained. A weighting factor previously learned is retrieved and a cost based on a cost function is computed in accordance with a weighted smallest distance between the arm including the end-effector and the at least one obstacle, wherein the smallest distance is weighted by the weighting factor. A trajectory is computed from the current pose to the desired pose by minimizing the cost function.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards robotic systems and methods. The robot may include an end effector, a tool flange of the robot, and a joint. The end effector may include a contacting part configured to contact a workpiece. The joint may be positioned between, and connected to, the tool flange and the end effector. The joint may include a variable angle between the tool flange and the end effector.