THE MODIFICATION OF PRE-PLANNED MANIPULATOR PATHS TO IMPROVE THE GROSS MOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PICK AND PLACE TASK

This paper presents research work which crosses the divide between ''P ath Planning'' and ''Trajectory Generation & Tracking''. These subject s have tended to develop along two parallel lines, in isolation from e ach other. The work uses the Lagrange formulation for the three major joints of an industrial manipulator. Simple planning rules are develop ed from this formulation. The rules are used to select new paths for a manipulator rather than to improve preplanned trajectories. The metho d has been applied to pick and place tasks requiring gross motions of the manipulator and the results are presented. It is shown that using this method, pre-planned manipulator paths can be modified to improve the gross motions associated with the pick and place task.