On the Optimization of Robotic Manipulator Trajectories With Bounded Joint Actuators or Joint Kinetic Loads Considered as Control Variables

A general approach to the dynamics of robotic manipulators is developed in order to select an array of joint actuators and joint kinetic loads to be dealt with as control variables to carry out optimization of manipulator trajectories. Optimization is performed along free paths between work stations. The selected joint forces or torques are submitted to bounds and are optimized together with the travel time by minimizing a mixed performance index.