Industrial Robot Path Planning Using 3D Cylindrical Grid Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for collision-free path planning in industrial robots are inadequate, particularly in dynamic environments and for complex tasks like logistics and palletting, as they fail to effectively prevent collisions with obstacles while optimizing motion efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the creation of a three-dimensional cylindrical model of the robot's working space, where obstacles are approximated as hollow cylindrical segments, allowing for the division of unoccupied regions into segments for collision-free path planning, using sampling-based or adaptive methods for collision testing, and A* search for determining the shortest path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional path planning methods are used in industrial robots, then the robot can perform basic motion tasks, but collisions with obstacles cannot be effectively prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The working space is divided into a three-dimensional grid of cells, where each cell is further segmented into multiple layers along the robot arm's motion path. This segmentation allows the system to check for collisions in discrete segments rather than continuous space, improving reliability while managing computational complexity through structured division of the configuration space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional three-dimensional working space into a four-dimensional configuration space by adding the dimension of robot arm configuration (joint angles). This dimensional transformation allows the path planning to simultaneously consider spatial position and robot configuration, enabling effective collision prevention by checking whether any configuration at a given position would cause collision with obstacles.
2Reliability
If complex collision-free path planning is implemented, then collision prevention is improved, but computation time and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary collision detection by pre-calculating which cells in the three-dimensional grid contain obstacles and storing this information in advance. During actual path planning, the system only needs to check against this pre-computed obstacle map rather than performing full collision detection calculations, significantly reducing computation time while maintaining collision-free guarantees.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the configuration space into discrete cells and layers, the system can perform collision checks on individual segments independently. This segmentation allows for efficient parallel processing and enables the use of simplified collision detection algorithms for each segment, reducing overall computation time while maintaining comprehensive collision coverage.
3Productivity
If traditional Cartesian coordinate systems are used for path planning, then basic positioning is achieved, but efficient motion planning for complex tasks like palletting is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic path planning approach where the robot arm's motion is planned in layers through the three-dimensional grid, allowing adaptive adjustment of motion parameters based on the specific task requirements. The system can dynamically select different paths through the configuration space depending on obstacle positions and task goals, enabling efficient execution of complex tasks like palletting while maintaining flexibility for various handling scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for collision-free path planning for an industrial robot (1) which has a control device (9) and a robot arm (2) that is movable with the aid of the control device (9), to which an object (11) is attached, and in whose working space at least one obstacle (12) is situated.