Where to Install the Manipulator: Optimal Installation Pose Planning Based on Whale Algorithm

Abstract

In industrial applications, a manipulator is usually required to perform multiple pre-defined tasks on a fixed installed pose. Due to the ununiform dexterity distribution, the manipulator may work in awkward configurations, and some tasks may even exceed the reachable workspace. Thus, the performance of the tasks can be improved by optimizing the installation pose (IP) of the manipulator. However, there are complex nonlinear relationships between the IP and the tasks, which makes the optimization problem challenging. In this paper, a new method is proposed to optimize the IP of the manipulator for multiple tasks. Firstly, the paths of the end effector are discretized into poses for different tasks. Then the optimization model is established, which is applicable to different indexes and constraints. Finally, the whale algorithm is improved to solve the optimization model. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, two case studies of the robotic inspection task and the unhooking the freight train task are given. Simulation results show that the proposed method can give good performance for complex tasks.