Method for optimizing the motion of a multi-axis robot

• Main Author: BATCHELDER; JOHN S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.06.1995
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; HAND TOOLS; MANIPULATORS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; REGULATING; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method for determining an optimal trajectory and velocity for an open loop stepper motor driven robot (1) is disclosed, as is an open loop robotic system suitable for use in, by example, a rapid prototyping system (10). The method utilizes a deflection angle calculation of a maximal velocity for each vertex of a set of vertices that define a desired trajectory, a heap sort for globally ensuring that none of the vertices have an excessive velocity, and a vertex adding technique that ensures that the robot is performing straight line moves as rapidly as is possible.