Hand-guiding robots along predefined geometric paths under hard joint constraints

Abstract

In this paper a method is presented that allows an operator to hand-guide a robot along a predefined geometric path. This is a common use case in robot assisted surgery, which often has high demands on precision. In order to ensure the path accuracy of the robot, joint velocity and joint acceleration constraints are enforced to prevent undesired saturation effects of the actuators. Furthermore, necessary optimization steps are calculated in an offline phase and utilized during runtime to ensure realtime capabilities. The functionality of the method is evaluated using simulated sensor readings, controlling a kinematic model of the robot. While the focus is on surgical applications, the method can be useful in other domains as well, e.g. rehabilitation robotics or industrial applications.