Local optimization of redundant manipulator kinematics within constrained workspaces

Finding optimal kinematics for manipulators dedicated to working within enclosed workspaces can be applied to assembly-line tasks such as welding, grinding, and spray-painting within automobile interiors. This paper presents a method of designing redundant and hyper-redundant manipulators for enclosed workspaces. A heuristic search is used to generate designs capable of maneuvering within a specified target-workspace in a given enclosure. A locally-optimal design is then selected for minimum degrees of freedom, or for performance values measured during the search. A variation on task-priority based redundancy control is also presented which allows many secondary-priority obstacle avoidance tasks to be satisfied simultaneously, therefore permitting easier maneuvering through complex enclosures