# Arm Manipulation Planning of Tethered Tools with the Help of a Tool Balancer

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a manipulation planner that uses cable orientation constraints to prevent cable entanglement and reduce torque on robot joints when handling tethered tools with a tool balancer.

## Contribution

It presents a novel planning approach incorporating cable orientation constraints to improve safety and efficiency in tethered tool manipulation.

## Key findings

- Successful simulation and real-world tests demonstrate effective cable entanglement prevention.
- The planner reduces joint torque caused by cable bending.
- It enhances safety and reliability in robotic work cells.

## Abstract

Robotic manipulation of tethered tools is widely seen in robotic work cells. They may cause excess strain on the tool's cable or undesired entanglements with the robot's arms. This paper presents a manipulation planner with cable orientation constraints for tethered tools suspended by tool balancers. The planner uses orientation constraints to limit the bending of the balancer's cable while the robot manipulates a tool and places it in a desired pose. The constraints reduce entanglements and decrease the torque induced by the cable on the robot joints. Simulation and real-world experiments show that the constrained planner can successfully plan robot motions for the manipulation of suspended tethered tools preventing the robot from damaging the cable or getting its arms entangled, potentially avoiding accidents. The planner is expected to play promising roles in manufacturing cells.