Integrated task scheduling and action planning control for robotic systems based on a max-plus algebra model

This paper presents a new paradigm for task scheduling and action planning/control of a robotic system. Based on the proposed Max-Plus Algebra model, a robotic task involving both discrete and continuous actions can be scheduled, planned and controlled in a perceptive reference frame. Therefore, task scheduling, which usually deals with discrete type of events, as well as action planning, which usually deals with continuous events, can be treated systematically in a unified framework. More importantly, the unique feature of this approach is that interactions between discrete and continuous events can be considered in the same framework. As a result the efficiency, robustness and reliability of the task schedule and action plan can increase significantly. A typical assembly task in a dual-robot manufacturing work-cell is used to illustrate the proposed approach. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach.