IRI - KINODYN: Kinodynamic planning of efficient and agile robot motions

Robotics is flourishing. Innovative robot mechanisms constantly see the light of day, and their use may increase dramatically in the near future. Whether on Earth or in Space, from research labs, to medicine, or the industry, we see parallel and walking robots, flying manipulators, anthropomorphic hands and arms, humanoids, and other sophisticated machines in action. The capacity to autonomously plan and perform complex motions is key on such devices, and robotics has provided many solutions to this end. Despite the impressive advances, however, roboticists are beginning to recognize that robots still move far too conservatively (R. Tedrake. "Underactuated robotics." MIT Open Course Ware. http://underactuated. csail.mit.edu), and accomplish only a fraction of the tasks and achieve only a fraction of the performance that they are mechanically capable of. This must be attributed to the fact that many robots are fundamentally
limited by control technology that matured on rigid robotic arms in factory environments. Such robots use high-gain control loops, and therefore considerable joint torque, to cancel out their natural dynamics to strictly follow a desired trajectory. This approach to robot motion makes the problem tractable, but comes at a high price: a robot consumes much more energy than a human does to perform the same task, and it requires an oversized structure to support excessively large motors and resist their reactions. The result is a machine that is much less efficient and agile when compared to what a human, or an animal, would be in accomplishing a similar task.

The objective of this project is to investigate how energy-efficient and agile robot motions can be planned and executed in an efficient and reliable way. While robot movements are usually rigid and stereotyped, our aim is to make them more graceful. This does not mean to avoid jagged movements by simply smoothing the trajectory, but to adapt each movement to the natural frequency of the robot parts and manipulated objects, taking advantage of gravity, inertia, and centripetal forces, and thus reducing the internal forces and global effort of the robot.

A departing hypothesis is the realisation that such motions can only be generated by (1) taking the full robot dynamics into account, and (2) making an optimal use of the limited power, energy, and strength capacities of the robot equipment. To a large extent, this calls for offloading lower-level control loops in their task to achieve feasible, conservative motions, transferring part of their duty to higher-level motion planners that, by considering the full robot dynamics, are able to achieve graceful natural motions compliant with motor torque, energy storage, or material resistance limitations. A second hypothesis is the observation that there are new computational tools from motion planning, numerical continuation, differential geometry, multibody dynamics, and robot singularity theory, that can be employed to devise a high-level motion planner taking all such limitations into account.

More information: http://www.iri.upc.edu/people/ros/kinodyn-proposal.pdf

Project Publications

Journal Publications

R. Bordalba, T. Schoels, L. Ros, J.M. Porta and M. Diehl. Direct collocation methods for trajectory optimization in constrained robotic systems. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 39(1): 183-202, 2023.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. Approximating displacements in R^3 by rotations in R^4 and its application to pointcloud registration. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 38(4): 2652-2654, 2022.

Abstract Info PDF
R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. A randomized kinodynamic planner for closed-chain robotic systems. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 37(1): 99-115, 2021.

Abstract Info PDF
T. Marchi, G. Mottola, J.M. Porta, F. Thomas and M. Carricato. Position and singularity analysis of a class of planar parallel manipulators with a reconfigurable end-effector. Machines, 9(1): 7, 2021.

Abstract Info PDF
A. Shabani, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. A branch-and-prune method to solve closure equations in dual quaternions. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 164: 104424, 2021.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi, A. Shabani, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. On closed-form formulas for the 3-D nearest rotation matrix problem. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 36(4): 1333-1339, 2020.

Abstract Info PDF
A. Bazaga, M. Roldán, C. Badosa, C. Jiménez-Mallebrera and J.M. Porta. A convolutional neural network for the automatic diagnosis of collagen VI-related muscular dystrophies. Applied Soft Computing, 85: 105772, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. A survey on the computation of quaternions from rotation matrices. Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 11(2): 021006, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF
E. Celaya. Solution intervals for variables in spatial RCRCR linkages. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 133: 481-492, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi, A. Perez and F. Thomas. On Cayley's factorization with an application to the orthonormalization of noisy rotation matrices. Advances in Applied Clifford Algebras, 29: 49, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF

Conference Publications

I. Moreno, E. Celaya and L. Ros. Model predictive control for a Mecanum-wheeled robot navigating among obstacles, 7th IFAC Conference on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control, 2021, Bratislava, Slovakia, pp. 119-125.

Abstract Info PDF
T. Marchi, G. Mottola, J.M. Porta, F. Thomas and M. Carricato. Position analysis of a class of n-RRR planar parallel robots, 3rd International Conference of the IFToMM Italy, 2020, Online, in Advances in Italian Mechanism Science, Vol 91 of Mechanisms and Machine Science Series, pp. 353-361, Springer.

Abstract Info PDF
F. Thomas and J.M. Porta. Clifford’s identity and generalized Cayley-Menger determinants, 17th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2020, Vol 15 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 285-292, Springer.

Abstract Info PDF
A. Shabani, S. Sarabandi, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. A fast branch-and-prune algorithm for the position analysis of spherical mechanisms, 15th IFToMM World Congress on Mechanism and Machine Science, 2019, Krakow, Poland, in Advances in Mechanism and Machine Science, Vol 73 of Mechanism and Machine Science, pp. 549-558, Springer.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. Accurate computation of quaternions from rotation matrices, 16th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2018, Bologna, Italy, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2018, Vol 8 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 39-46, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi, P. Grosch, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. A reconfigurable asymmetric 3-UPU parallel robot , 4th International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots, 2018, Delft, Netherlands, pp. 1-8.

Abstract Info PDF
R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. Randomized kinodynamic planning for constrained systems, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2018, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 7079-7086.

Abstract Info PDF
R. Bordalba, J.M. Porta and L. Ros. A singularity-robust LQR controller for parallel robots, 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2018, Madrid, Spain, pp. 270-276.

Abstract Info PDF
R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. Randomized planning of dynamic motions avoiding forward singularities, 16th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2018, Bologna, Italy, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2018, Vol 8 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 170-178, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF
S. Sarabandi, A. Perez-Gracia and F. Thomas. Singularity-free computation of quaternions from rotation matrices in E⁴ and E³, 7th Conference on Applied Geometric Algebras in Computer Science and Engineering, 2018, Campinas, Brasil.

Abstract Info PDF
J.M. Porta, S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. Angle-bound smoothing with applications in kinematics, 5th IFToMM Asian Conference on Mechanism and Machine Science, 2018, Bengaluru, India, in Mechanism and Machine Science, Vol XXXIV of Lecture Notes in Mechnical Engineering, pp. 747-759, 2020, Springer.

Abstract Info PDF
J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. The forward kinematics of doubly-planar Gough-Stewart platforms and the position analysis of strips of tetrahedra, 16th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2018, Bologna, Italy, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2018, Vol 8 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 124-132, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF
J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. Yet another approach to the Gough-Stewart platform forward kinematics, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2018, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 974-980.

Abstract Info PDF

Other Publications

P. Grosch and F. Thomas. Parallel Robots With Unconventional Joints. Kinematics and Motion Planning. Volume of Parallel Robots: Theory and Applications. Springer, 2019.

Abstract Info

J. Wu, S. Sarabandi, J.M. Porta, M. Liu and F. Thomas. Yet a better closed-form formula for the 3D nearest rotation matrix problem. Technical Report IRI-TR-21-01, Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, CSIC-UPC, 2021.

Abstract Info PDF
R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. A randomized kinodynamic planner for closed-chain robotic systems. Technical Report IRI-TR-19-02, Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, CSIC-UPC, 2019.

Abstract Info PDF

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Research Project

KINODYN: Kinodynamic planning of efficient and agile robot motions

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Project Description

Project Publications

Journal Publications

R. Bordalba, T. Schoels, L. Ros, J.M. Porta and M. Diehl. Direct collocation methods for trajectory optimization in constrained robotic systems. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 39(1): 183-202, 2023.

S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. Approximating displacements in R^3 by rotations in R^4 and its application to pointcloud registration. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 38(4): 2652-2654, 2022.

R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. A randomized kinodynamic planner for closed-chain robotic systems. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 37(1): 99-115, 2021.

T. Marchi, G. Mottola, J.M. Porta, F. Thomas and M. Carricato. Position and singularity analysis of a class of planar parallel manipulators with a reconfigurable end-effector. Machines, 9(1): 7, 2021.

A. Shabani, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. A branch-and-prune method to solve closure equations in dual quaternions. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 164: 104424, 2021.

S. Sarabandi, A. Shabani, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. On closed-form formulas for the 3-D nearest rotation matrix problem. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 36(4): 1333-1339, 2020.

A. Bazaga, M. Roldán, C. Badosa, C. Jiménez-Mallebrera and J.M. Porta. A convolutional neural network for the automatic diagnosis of collagen VI-related muscular dystrophies. Applied Soft Computing, 85: 105772, 2019.

S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. A survey on the computation of quaternions from rotation matrices. Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 11(2): 021006, 2019.

E. Celaya. Solution intervals for variables in spatial RCRCR linkages. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 133: 481-492, 2019.

S. Sarabandi, A. Perez and F. Thomas. On Cayley's factorization with an application to the orthonormalization of noisy rotation matrices. Advances in Applied Clifford Algebras, 29: 49, 2019.

Conference Publications

I. Moreno, E. Celaya and L. Ros. Model predictive control for a Mecanum-wheeled robot navigating among obstacles, 7th IFAC Conference on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control, 2021, Bratislava, Slovakia, pp. 119-125.

F. Thomas and J.M. Porta. Clifford’s identity and generalized Cayley-Menger determinants, 17th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2020, Vol 15 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 285-292, Springer.

S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. Accurate computation of quaternions from rotation matrices, 16th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2018, Bologna, Italy, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2018, Vol 8 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 39-46, 2019.

S. Sarabandi, P. Grosch, J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. A reconfigurable asymmetric 3-UPU parallel robot , 4th International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots, 2018, Delft, Netherlands, pp. 1-8.

R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. Randomized kinodynamic planning for constrained systems, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2018, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 7079-7086.

R. Bordalba, J.M. Porta and L. Ros. A singularity-robust LQR controller for parallel robots, 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2018, Madrid, Spain, pp. 270-276.

R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. Randomized planning of dynamic motions avoiding forward singularities, 16th International Symposium on Advances in Robot Kinematics, 2018, Bologna, Italy, in Advances in Robot Kinematics 2018, Vol 8 of Springer Proceedings in Advanced Robotics, pp. 170-178, 2019.

S. Sarabandi, A. Perez-Gracia and F. Thomas. Singularity-free computation of quaternions from rotation matrices in E4 and E3, 7th Conference on Applied Geometric Algebras in Computer Science and Engineering, 2018, Campinas, Brasil.

J.M. Porta, S. Sarabandi and F. Thomas. Angle-bound smoothing with applications in kinematics, 5th IFToMM Asian Conference on Mechanism and Machine Science, 2018, Bengaluru, India, in Mechanism and Machine Science, Vol XXXIV of Lecture Notes in Mechnical Engineering, pp. 747-759, 2020, Springer.

J.M. Porta and F. Thomas. Yet another approach to the Gough-Stewart platform forward kinematics, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2018, Brisbane, Australia, pp. 974-980.

Other Publications

P. Grosch and F. Thomas. Parallel Robots With Unconventional Joints. Kinematics and Motion Planning. Volume of Parallel Robots: Theory and Applications. Springer, 2019.

J. Wu, S. Sarabandi, J.M. Porta, M. Liu and F. Thomas. Yet a better closed-form formula for the 3D nearest rotation matrix problem. Technical Report IRI-TR-21-01, Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, CSIC-UPC, 2021.

R. Bordalba, L. Ros and J.M. Porta. A randomized kinodynamic planner for closed-chain robotic systems. Technical Report IRI-TR-19-02, Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial, CSIC-UPC, 2019.

S. Sarabandi, A. Perez-Gracia and F. Thomas. Singularity-free computation of quaternions from rotation matrices in E⁴ and E³, 7th Conference on Applied Geometric Algebras in Computer Science and Engineering, 2018, Campinas, Brasil.