Path following algorithm for highly redundant manipulators

An algorithm for path planning for highly redundant manipulators is presented in this paper. Assuming an approximated path is given by B-spline curves, path following is defined by requiring manipulator links to remain approximately tangent to these curves. The algorithm decouples manipulator links and establishes each link's position relative to the curve using a numerical approach. As a result, the whole link achieves manoeuvring around the curve. A robust propagation procedure between links is also performed, which checks every link's position and moves the links coming after the most recently moved link. These features lead to handling a huge number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) while keeping tight manoeuvring ability of highly redundant manipulators as illustrated with several examples. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.