This paper describes an interactive software system, developed at the
Robotics and Automation Laboratory at UCLA to demonstrate innovative a
pproaches to off-line robot programming and work-cell layout design. T
he software computes the time-optimal motions along specified paths, l
ocal optimal paths around an initial guess, and the global optimal pat
h between given end-points. It considers the full robot dynamics, actu
ator constraints, on the payload acceleration or the gripping force, a
nd any number of polygonal obstacles of any shape. The graphic display
s provide a useful tool for interactive motion planning and workcell d
esign.