Abstract: A method of avoiding collisions between a robot and at least one other object such as another robot is provided in which the user does not need to make any provisions in a robot program for avoiding collisions and defining common work-areas. Furthermore, the method allows for automatic configuration of the workcell from a collision avoidance standpoint. It determines automatically which components have potential collisions with which other components. Since the inventive method is based on predicting the configurations of the moving components over a period of time sufficient enough to allow the machines to stop safely and checks for interference, a priori knowledge of trajectories is not required. If a collision is predicted the machines are commanded to a stop on or off their paths. In this way the inventive collision avoidance method can also be used as a safeguard with other explicit methods.

Abstract: A method of avoiding collisions between a robot and at least one other object, e.g. another robot is disclosed in which the user does not need to make any provisions in a robot program for avoiding collisions, e.g. defining common work-areas. Furthermore, the inventive method allows for automatic configuration of the workcell from a collision avoidance standpoint. It determines automatically which components have potential collisions with which other components. Since the inventive method is based on predicting the configurations of the moving components over a period of time sufficient enough to allow the machines to stop safely and checks for interference, a priori knowledge of trajectories is not required. If a collision is predicted the machines are commanded to a stop on or off their paths. In this way the inventive collision avoidance method can also be used as a safeguard with other explicit methods.

Abstract: An object oriented motion system for controlling the movement of a robotic manipulator is presented. The motion system includes a trajectory generator object for producing a stream of machine joint commands. A kinematics object is operable to provide a set of robotic arm specific functions for the trajectory generator object. A servo object provides an interface to the servo system. The stream of machine motor commands are converted by the servo object to a stream of signals that drive the servo system, thereby controlling the trajectory of the robot arm.

Abstract: A trajectory generation system is provided for operating a robot in response to a motion command. The robot is a multi-jointed manipulator with an end-effector that traverses a trajectory. A Cartesian trajectory generator converts the motion command into a requested Cartesian positions vector and a requested Cartesian velocities vector. A Jacobian matrix of the manipulator defines the relationship between the manipulator joint velocities vector and the manipulator Cartesian velocities vector. A requested joint velocities vector is computed from the requested Cartesian velocities vector by way of the inverse of the Jacobian matrix. The requested joint velocities vector defines a planned state vector for the manipulator.