Smooth trajectory generation for industrial robots performing high precision assembly processes

Industrial robots conceived for high-precision assembly processes are demanded to match the best trade-off between precision and speed. This research presents a new approach for defining the motion profiles of robots, based on a smooth trajectory generation model. Execution time is minimized by a novel multi variable optimization approach, taking into account the performance of each joint and the requirements of extremely precise assembly tasks. The proposed method, tested on a modular robot for the optoelectronics industry, provides jerk-bounded trajectories up to 39% faster compared to the best performing motion planning approaches, while offering the possibility to adapt these trajectories for degraded operating conditions. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of CIRP.