SPATIAL REASONING ABOUT ROBOT COMPLIANT MOVEMENTS AND OPTIMAL PATHS IN QUALITATIVELY MODELED ENVIRONMENTS

This article describes a framework for qualitatively represent ing and reasoning about spatial configurations. The framework contains interv al/region-based formalisms for describing distances, angles, and locat ions. These representations lead to the formulation of inference rules , as well as search-heuristics that enable the derivation of spatial r elationships and paths among objects. The qualitative framework can be used in two principal ways: to formulate solutions to spatial configu ration problems where exact geometric knowledge is not available, and to provide guidance for the application of quantitative configuration analysis and planning methods. The applications of the proposed framew ork are demonstrated through simulation examples that involve inferrin g constrained instantaneous configurations as well as coupler curves f or compliant motion planning and deriving collision-free paths for ope n-chain mechanisms moving among static obstacles.