Orientation planning in continuous path applications for wrist partitioned manipulators

Presents an algorithm of trajectory planning for wrist partitioned robotic manipulators. The desired translational trajectory is defined as a continuous function in Cartesian co-ordinates. The desired orientation is defined as a continuous function of the Frenet frame. Therefore, orientation is planned without influence of geometric changes along the translational path. The path is generated as a sequence of elementary motions. Each new position is defined as a function of the previous one. After having derived a position, the orientation is planned using a maximising process. The present algorithm avoids singularities, because there is no need of using the inverse kinematics.