Robust trajectory planning for robotic manipulators under payload uncertainties

A number of trajectory planning algorithms are available for determining the joint torques, positions, and velocities required to move a manipulator along a given geometric path in minimum time. These schemes require knowledge of the robot´s dynamics, which in turn depend upon the characteristics of the payload which the robot is carrying. In practice, the dynamic properties of the payload will not be known exactly, so that the dynamics of the robot, and hence the required joint torques, must be calculated for a nominal set of payload characteristics. But since these trajectory planners generate nominal joint torques which are at the limits of the robot´s capabilities, moving the robot along the desired geometric path at speeds calculated for the nominal payload may require torques which exceed the robot´s capabilities. In this paper, bounds on joint torque uncertainties are derived in terms of payload uncertainties. Using these bounds, a new trajectory planner is developed to incorporate payload uncertainties such that all the trajectories generated can be realized with given joint torques. Finally, the trajectory planner is applied to the first three joints of the Bendix PACS arm, a cylindrical robot to demonstrate its use and power.