Chaos-based Vortex Search algorithm for solving inverse kinematics problem of serial robot manipulators with offset wrist

Vortex Search (VS) algorithm is a single-solution-based optimization algorithm that requires the high maximum number of iterations (NOI) to solve optimization problems. In this study, two methods were proposed to reduce the required maximum NOI of the VS algorithm. These methods are based on using ten chaos maps with the VS algorithm and provide improvements in the exploration and exploitation abilities of the algorithm for reducing the required maximum NOI. Ten chaos-based VS algorithms (CVSs) were obtained by combining these methods with the VS algorithm. The performances of the CVS algorithms were tested by fifty benchmark functions. The results were evaluated in terms of some statistical values and a pairwise statistical test, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. According to the results, it was found that the CVS algorithm obtained by using the Gauss-Mouse chaos map was the best algorithm. And also, it was shown that the proposed CVS algorithm performs better than the classical VS algorithm, even when its maximum NOI was ten times less than the maximum NOI of the VS algorithm. Additionally, the effects of the proposed methods in the exploration and the exploitation abilities of the VS algorithm were visually shown and a comparison about algorithm processing time was presented. In order to test the performance of the proposed CVS algorithm in solving the real-world optimization problems, the inverse kinematics problem of a six Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) serial robot manipulator with offset wrist was solved with both the proposed CVS algorithm and the VS algorithm for two different types of trajectories. The results showed that the proposed algorithm outperforms the VS algorithm in terms of the objective function values and position errors of the end-effector of the serial robot manipulator. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.