Robot trajectory planning using a genetic algorithm
Daniel J. Pack, Gregory J. Toussaint, Randy L. Haupt · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1996
In this paper, we studied the trajectory generation problem for a two-degrees-of-freedom robot in a workspace with obstacles. To generate the robot's trajectories, we developed a genetic algorithm to search for valid solutions in the configuration space. Our results present a novel perspective on the problem not seen in the conventional robot trajectory planners. The genetic algorithm approach is beneficial because it may be extended to plan trajectories for robots with more degrees of freedom. The evolutionary search process may allow the user to solve the trajectory problem in an n-dimensional space where the 'curse of dimensionality' inevitably stalls conventional methods. We demonstrate the algorithm with some examples and discuss the possible extension to higher order problems.