Offline path and motion planning for redundant manipulators for obstacle avoidance

An algorithm is presented for the planning of robot path and motion parameters in an environment containing obstacles. The proposed path and motion planning method studies robot configurations for motion from its destination state to its initial state. This procedure significantly reduces the work of finding joint parameters. The method is simple, reliable, fast, and can be applied to any environmental layout with obstacles of a general shape. This process is essentially performed by a graphical simulation program and the recorded joint parameters may be translated and used by an actuator controller unit. The simulation program discussed considers a manipulator with revolute joints and any number of equal links which are initially folded down onto a home position. Various scenarios have been developed for moving from one remote location to another without returning to the home position. The manipulator works in a plane with a SCARA-type action