Research

Path Planning for Redundant Manipulators in Highly Cluttered Environments

Key Challenges

  • High-dimensionality of the search space

Novel Approach

  • A general bi-directional tree-search framework

  • The framework allows balancing reliance on workspace cues and configuration space sampling

Key Results

  • Very low path planning failure rate

  • Improved path quality

User-Guided Path Planning for Redundant Manipulators in Highly Cluttered Environments

Key Challenges

  • High-dimensionality of the search space

Novel Approach

  • A general bi-directional tree-search framework

  • The framework allows robot operators to provide high-level guidance during the search process

Key Results

  • Very low path planning failure rate

  • Improved path quality

Trajectory Planning for Robotic Boats in Complex Environments

Key Challenges

  • Navigation through wave-fields of traffic vessels

  • Robot motion uncertainty

  • Perception uncertainty

Novel Approach

  • Incorporate wave-fields, motion uncertainty, perception uncertainty in the trajectory planning problems

Key Results

  • Low collision rate

  • Improved trajectory execution time

Trajectory Planning for Unmanned Ground Vehicles in Complex Environments

Key Challenges

  • Navigation over uneven terrain (slopes)

  • Presence of dynamic obstacles

  • Perception uncertainty

Novel Approach

  • Use approximate acceleration/deceleration model of the UGV

  • Regulate velocity along curve to avoid collisions

Key Results

  • Low collision rate

  • Improved trajectory execution time