Fine Tuning of Rational B-Spline Motions

Abstract

This paper presents two algorithms for fine-tuning rational B-spline motions suitable for Computer Aided Design. The problem of fine-tuning of rational motions is studied as that of fine-tuning rational curves in a projective dual three-space, called the image curves. The path-smoothing algorithm automatically detects and smoothes out the third order geometric discontinuities in the path of a cubic rational B-spline image curve. The speed-smoothing algorithm uses a quintic rational spline image curve to obtain a second-order geometric approximation of the path of a cubic rational B-spline image curve while allowing specification of the speed and the rate of change of speed at the key points to obtain a near constant kinetic energy parameterization. The results have applications in Cartesian trajectory planning in robotics, spatial navigation in visualization and virtual reality systems, as well as mechanical system simulation.