An evolutionary and local search algorithm for planning two manipulators motion

Abstract

A method based on the union of an Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and a local search algorithm for obtaining coordinated motion plans of two manipulator robots is presented. A Decoupled Planning Approach has been used. For this purpose, the problem has been decomposed into two subproblems: path planning, where a collision-free path is found for each robot independently of the other, only considering fixed obstacles; and trajectory planning, where the paths are timed and synchronized in order to avoid collision with the other robot. This paper focuses on the second problem. A method is presented to minimize the total motion time of two manipulators along their paths, avoiding collision regardless of the accuracy of the dynamic model used. A hybrid technique with EA and local search methods has been implemented.