Time-Energy Optimal Path Tracking for Robots: A Numerically Efficient Optimization Approach

• D. Verscheure, B. Demeulenaere, J. Swevers, J. De Schutter, M. Diehl

• Proc. of 10th International Workshop on Advanced Motion Control, Trento, Italy, March 26–28, 2008, pp. 727-732

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• this paper is an abridged version of a journal paper that has been submitted to IEEE Trans. Automatic Control

This paper focuses on time-optimal and time-energy optimal path tracking, which are subproblems in optimal motion planning of robot systems. Through a nonlinear change of variables, the time-energy optimal path tracking problem is transformed here into a convex optimal control problem with a single state variable. A direct transcription method is presented that reduces finding the globally optimal trajectory to solving a second-order cone program using robust numerical algorithms that are freely available. Application to a six-DOF KUKA 361 industrial robot carrying out a writing task illustrates the practicality of the new method.