TRAJECTORY PLANNING

Introduction
• Robot study is divided into two parts; they are the kinematics and
dynamics.
• Using the equations of motion of the robot, its position can be determined
if the joint variables are known.
• Path and trajectory planning relates the way a robot is moved from one
location to another in controlled manner.
• Sequence of movements is to be made to create a controlled movement
between motion segments, in straight-line motion, or in sequential
motions.
• Path and trajectory planning requires the use of both kinematics and
dynamics of robots.
 Path Vs Trajectory
• A Path is defined as a sequence of robot configurations in particular order without regard
to timing of these configurations as shown in figure below.

• A trajectory is concerned about when each part of the path must be obtained thus
specifying timing (Velocity and Acceleration). Or a trajectory is a spatial position/time
curve that usually represents a desired manipulation motion in either link or Cartesian
space as shown below.
 Joint Space Vs Cartesian Space
• Using the inverse kinematic equations of the robot one may calculate
the total joint displacements that the robot needs to make to get to
the new location.

• The joint values thus calculated can be used by the controller to drive
the robot joints to their new location, and consequently, move the
robot arm to its new position.

• The description of the motion to be made by the robot by its joint

values is called joint space description.
• If it is desired to move the robot from point A to point B following a straight line path
(shown in figure), the line is divided into small portions and robot is made to pass
through all intermediate points.

• To accomplish this inverse kinematic equations are solved, a set of joint variables is
calculated and controller is directed accordingly.

• In this case, unlike joint space case, the motion is known at all the times. The sequence
of movements is described in Cartesian space and converted to joint space at each
segment.
• Cartesian-space trajectories are easy to visualize.
• However they are computationally intensive and require faster processing time
for similar resolution as joint space trajectories.

(a) The trajectory specified in Cartesian Co-ordinates may force robot to run
into itself, (b) It may require a sudden change in joint angles.
 Basics of Trajectory planning
• Considering a two degree of freedom robot.
• The configuration at point A is α=30° and β=30°. An to reach B its calculated that
the configuration is α=40° and β=80°. Both joints can move at the maximum rate
of 10 degrees/sec.
Method I
• Run both joints at their maximum angular velocities.
 Method II

• Both joints start and stop their motion simultaneously.

• Motion of both joints of the robot is normalized by a common factor such that
joint with smaller motion will move proportionally slower.
 Method III
• Robots hand follow a known path.
• The simplest solution is dividing the line into smaller segments and solve
necessary angles α and β at each point. This is called interpolation.

• In this case it is assumed that robot’s actuators are strong enough to provide
large forces to accelerate and decelerate the joints as needed.
• To improve this situation the segments are divided differently.
• At the beginning as the arm speeds up its is moved in smaller segments then at a
constant cruising rate and decelerate in smaller segments.
 Blending
• It is used when the path for the arm to follow is not a straight line(e.g.
a quadratic equation).
• The coordinates of each segment are calculated based on desired
path and used to calculate joint variables at each segment.

Blending of different motion segments in a path.

An alternate scheme to ensure that the robot will go through a specified point during blending of motion
segments. Two via points D and E are picked such that point B will fall on the straight line section of the
segment ensuring that the robot will pass through point B.
 Joint-Space trajectory planning
Third-Order polynomial trajectory planning

• The most common techniques for trajectory planning for industrial robots are the
use of polynomial of different orders, such as Cubic and B-splines, linear
segments with parabolic blends and the soft motion trajectory.

• The Linear Segments with Parabolic blends trajectories are faster and more
suitable for industrial applications. On the other hand, the higher order
polynomials trajectory as well as the soft motion trajectory are easy to design and
control especially for the jerk.

• They are accurate, precise and suitable for medical applications.

• Consider that one of the joints at the beginning (time=ti) is at θi.
• Joint is desired to be moved to θf at tf.
• The trajectory is given by:

• In whichC0, C1, C2 and C3 are coefficients to be determined from the initial

conditions as follows:

• By substitution:

(1)
• The initial and final location and orientation of robot are known from:

• By substitution:

(2)

• By solving equations (1) and (2) simultaneously:

• It is desired to have the first joint of a six axis robot go from initial angle of 30° to a
final angle of 75° in 5 seconds. Using a third order polynomial, calculate the joint
angle at 1,2,3 and 4 seconds.
• Substituting the boundary conditions:

• This will result in the following cubic polynomial equation for position, as well as
the velocity and acceleration equations:
• Substituting the desired time intervals into the motion equation gives:

• The joint angles velocities and accelerations are shown in figure below:

• The acceleration
needed in the
beginning is 10.8°/sec2.
 Higher Order Trajectories
• When, in addition to the initial and final destination points, other via points
are specified, the position, velocity and acceleration of the two segments
may be matched at each point to plan a continuous trajectory.

• Incorporating initial an final boundary conditions together with this

information enables us to use higher order polynomial in the form:
 (t )  c0  c1t  c2t 2  c3t 3    cn1t n1  cnt n
• Solving these require extensive calculations. Combinations of lower order
polynomial for different segments of the trajectory are used and blended
together to satisfy all the boundary conditions.
• “4-3-4” trajectory
• 4th order polynomial from initial to lift-off.
• 3rd order polynomial from lift-off to set-down.
• 4th order polynomial from set-down to final.

• “3-5-3” trajectory
• Same as above but 3rd and 5th order polynomials.

• 5-cubic trajectory
• Cubic splines used for 5 segments.
• Lift-off to set-down split into 3 segments.
 Solving 4-3-4 trajectory
• The trajectory will have total of 14 unknown coefficients in the
following form:
 (t )  a4t 4  a3t 3  a2t 2  a1t  a0
1

 (t ) 2  b3t 3  b2t 2  b1t  b0

 (t ) 3  c4t 4  c3t 3  c2t 2  c1t  c0

• There are 14 boundary and blending conditions available:

1. Initial position of θ1 is known.
1  a0
2. Initial velocity can be specified.

 1  a1

3. Initial acceleration

can be specified.
 1  2a2
4. Position of first via point (θ2) is known and is same as the final position of the
first four order segment.
 2  a4t14f  a3t13f  a2t12f  a1t1 f  a0

5. The first via points position must be the same as the initial position of the third
order segment for continuity.
 2  b0

6. Continuous velocity must be maintained at the via points.

b1  4a4t13f  3a3t12f  2a2t1 f  a1

7. Continuous acceleration must be maintained at the via points.

12a4t12f  6a3t1 f  2a2  2b2
8. Position of second via point is specified and is same as the final position of the
third order segment.
 3  b3t 23 f  b2t 22 f  b1t 2 f  b0
9. The position of second via point must be the same as the initial position of the
next segment for continuity.
 3  c0
10. Continuous velocity must be maintained at the next via point.
3b3t 22 f  2b2t 2 f  b1  c1
11. Continuous acceleration must be maintained at the next via point.
2c2  6b3t 2 f  2b2
12. Position of destination is specified.
 4  c4t34 f  c3t33 f  c2t32 f  c1t3 f  c0
13. Velocity of destination is specified.

 4  4c4t3 f  3c3t3 f  2c2t3 f  c1
3 2

14. Acceleration of destination is specified.


 4  12c4t3 f  6c3t3 f  2c2
2
• Equations can be written in the form:
END