Trajectory planning of multiple coordinating robots using genetic algorithms

SUMMARY The paper focuses on the problem of trajectory planning of multiple coordinating robots. When multiple robots collaborate to manipulate one object, a redundant system is formed. There are a number of trajectories that the system can follow. These can be described in Cartesian coordinate space by an n th order polynomial. This paper presents an optimisation method based on the Genetic Algorithms (GAs) which chooses the parameters of the polynomial, such that the execution time and the drive torques for the robot joints are minimized. With the robot's dynamic constraints taken into account, the pitimised trajectories are realisable. A case study with two planar-moving robots, each having three degrees of freedom, shows that the method is effective.