Kinodynamic Motion Planning: A Novel Type Of Nonlinear, Passive Damping Forces And Advantages

TL;DR

This paper introduces a kinodynamic motion planning method that combines harmonic potential fields with nonlinear, anisotropic damping forces to guide robots effectively while managing their dynamics and suppressing transients.

Contribution

It proposes a novel damping force type integrated with harmonic potential fields for improved kinodynamic motion planning, handling system dynamics without full knowledge.

Findings

Effective suppression of inertia-induced transients

Works with dissipative and externally forced systems

Maintains high-speed operation in planning

Abstract

This article extends the capabilities of the harmonic potential field approach to planning to cover both the kinematic and dynamic aspects of a robot motion. The suggested approach converts the gradient guidance field from a harmonic potential to a control signal by augmenting it with a novel type of damping forces called nonlinear, anisotropic, damping forces. The combination of the two provides a signal that can both guide a robot and effectively manage its dynamics. The kinodynamic planning signal inherits the guidance capabilities of the harmonic gradient field. It can also be easily configured to efficiently suppress the inertia-induced transients in the robot trajectory without compromising the speed of operation. The approach works with dissipative systems as well as systems acted on by external forces without needing the full knowledge of the system dynamics. Theoretical developments and simulation results are provided in this article.