Quaternion-Based Smooth Trajectory Generator for Via Poses in SE(3) Considering Kinematic Limits in Cartesian Space
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 4 (4), pp. 4192–4199, 2019
Abstract
Smooth position and orientation interpolation has a great effect on the performance of robot manipulators. Interpolation between several via positions can be done in a straightforward manner, which is well covered in the literature. However, generating a suitable trajectory between several orientations is still an open problem. In this letter, we introduce a novel trajectory generator capable of respecting kinematic limits. We address the problem of generating a singularity-free trajectory for multiple via poses in $\boldsymbol{S\;E(3)}$ , while complying with the requirement of $\boldsymbol{\mathcal {C}^4}$ continuity. To achieve this, a smooth trapezoidal-like velocity profile and unit quaternions are used. A simulation platform in V-Rep based on a 7-DOF lightweight robot, including inverse kinematics and dynamics is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of our trajectory generator.