Motion planning

Our research in motion planning is focused on high-dimensional systems like multi-robot systems or modular robots, kinodynamic systems and path planning in virtual environments (e.g. models of proteins). The goal is to develop fast methods that enable a real-time computation of paths or trajectories for robotic systems. Path planning methods are based on classical geometric solutions, while the path/motion planning for high-dimensional system is studied using sampling-based principles.
HedgeHog in the cage problem
 
 

Sampling-based methods like Probabilistic Roadmaps (PRM) or Rapidly Exploring Random Trees (RRT) can cope with high-dimensional systems with possible consideration of motion constraints, but their performance can decrease in environments with narrow passages. A possible solution is to guide the sampling of the configuration space using a path with lower dimension, e.g. using a path found in the workspace, which is realized in our RRT-Path method.

 

Solution of Bugtrap benchmark using RRT-Path.

Example of solution of 3D Bugtrap benchmark probem, where the task is to find path for a stick robot. The problem is difficult due to narrow passage. The video shows a result obtained using RRT-IS (RRT with Iterative scaling): V Vonasek, J Faigl, T Krajnik and L Preucil. A Sampling Schema for Rapidly Exploring Random Trees Using a Guiding Path. In Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots. 2011, 201–206.

Motion planning for hedgehog in a cage.

Example of solution of 3D Hedge in the cage problem, where the task is to remove the spiky robot out of the cage. The cage has five identical windows with width similar to the radius of the robot's sphere. The video shows a result obtained using RRT-IS (RRT with Iterative scaling): V Vonasek, J Faigl, T Krajnik and L Preucil. A Sampling Schema for Rapidly Exploring Random Trees Using a Guiding Path. In Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots. 2011, 201–206.

Alpha Puzzle Benchmark.

Example of solution of Alpha puzzle benchmark using RRT with RRT-IS: V Vonasek, J Faigl, T Krajnik and L Preucil. A Sampling Schema for Rapidly Exploring Random Trees Using a Guiding Path. In Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots. 2011, 201–206.

And of course: the well known Piano Mover's problem!

We utilize physical simulations to model motion of complex systems like terrain vehicles or self-reconfigurable modular robots and we integrate them into the motion planners.

 
 
Modular robots can move using self-reconfiguration or joint-control. In the concept of motion through self-reconfiguration, modules are unconnected, moved to a new position and connected back to the robot. Contrary, the joint-control locomotion is achieved by controlling joints connecting the modules and it can therefore be used even for systems without self-reconfiguration abilities. We develop methods for motion planning of modular robots based on a combination of locomotion generators and high-level motion planning.

Contacts:

For further information contact Vojtěch Vonásek.

Publications:

  1. Vojtech Vonásek, Martin Saska, Lutz Winkler and Libor Preucil. High-level motion planning for CPG-driven modular robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 68(0):116 - 128, 2015. URL PDF BibTeX

    @article{Vonasek2015high,
	title = "High-level motion planning for CPG-driven modular robots",
	journal = "Robotics and Autonomous Systems",
	volume = 68,
	number = 0,
	pages = "116 - 128",
	year = 2015,
	note = "",
	issn = "0921-8890",
	url = "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889015000147",
	author = "Vojtech Vonásek and Martin Saska and Lutz Winkler and Libor Preucil",
	keywords = "Central pattern generator",
	pdf = "data/papers/rasmod2015modular.pdf"
}

  2. V Vonasek and B Kozlikova. Tunnel detection in protein structures using sampling-based motion planning. In 2017 11th International Workshop on Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo). July 2017, 185-192. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{vonasek2017tunnel,
	author = "V. Vonasek and B. Kozlikova",
	booktitle = "2017 11th International Workshop on Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo)",
	title = "Tunnel detection in protein structures using sampling-based motion planning",
	year = 2017,
	pages = "185-192",
	doi = "10.1109/RoMoCo.2017.8003911",
	pdf = "data/papers/romoco2017_vonasek.pdf",
	month = "July"
}

  3. V Von\' asek and B Kozl\'ıková. Application of sampling-based path planning for tunnel detection in dynamic protein structures. In 2016 21st International Conference on Methods and Models in Automation and Robotics (MMAR). August 2016, 1010-1015. URL PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{vonasek2016application,
	author = "Von{\' a}sek, V. and Kozl{\'\i}kov\'a, B.",
	booktitle = "2016 21st International Conference on Methods and Models in Automation and Robotics (MMAR)",
	title = "Application of sampling-based path planning for tunnel detection in dynamic protein structures",
	year = 2016,
	pages = "1010-1015",
	keywords = "Atomic measurements;Cavity resonators;Collision avoidance;Probes;Proteins;Robots;Stability analysis",
	doi = "10.1109/MMAR.2016.7575276",
	month = "Aug",
	pdf = "data/papers/mmar2016protein.pdf",
	url = "http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7575276/"
}

  4. Axel Vick, Vojtech Vonasek, Robert Penicka and Jorg Kruger. Robot control as a service - Towards cloud-based motion planning and control for industrial robots. In Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo), 2015 10th International Workshop on. July 2015, 33-39. URL PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{7219710,
	author = "Vick, Axel and Vonasek, Vojtech and Penicka, Robert and Kruger, Jorg",
	booktitle = "Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo), 2015 10th International Workshop on",
	title = "Robot control as a service - Towards cloud-based motion planning and control for industrial robots",
	year = 2015,
	pages = "33-39",
	keywords = "Collision avoidance;Interpolation;Planning;Robot kinematics;Robot sensing systems;Service robots",
	doi = "10.1109/RoMoCo.2015.7219710",
	month = "July",
	url = "http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7219710",
	pdf = "data/papers/romoco2015-rcaas.pdf"
}

  5. J Faigl, V Vonasek and L Preucil. Visiting Convex Regions in a Polygonal Map. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 61(10):1070–1083, October 2013. URL BibTeX

    @article{Faigl13:205385,
	author = "Faigl, J. and Vonasek, V. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Visiting Convex Regions in a Polygonal Map}",
	journal = "Robotics and Autonomous Systems",
	year = 2013,
	volume = 61,
	number = 10,
	pages = "1070--1083",
	month = "October",
	issn = "0921-8890",
	language = "English",
	url = "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889012001455"
}

  6. M Saska, T Krajnik, V Vonasek, Z Kasl, V Spurny and L Preucil. Fault-Tolerant Formation Driving Mechanism Designed for Heterogeneous MAVs-UGVs Groups. Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems 73(1-4):603–622, January 2014. URL PDF BibTeX

    @article{Saska14:212936,
	author = "Saska, M. and Krajnik, T. and Vonasek, V. and Kasl, Z. and Spurny, V. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Fault-Tolerant Formation Driving Mechanism Designed for Heterogeneous MAVs-UGVs Groups}",
	journal = "Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems",
	year = 2014,
	volume = 73,
	number = "1-4",
	pages = "603--622",
	month = "January",
	issn = "0921-0296",
	language = "English",
	url = "http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10846-013-9976-6",
	pdf = "data/papers/JINT14_failure.pdf"
}

  7. M Saska, J S Mejia, D M Stipanovic, V Vonasek, K Schilling and L Preucil. Control and Navigation in Manoeuvres of Formations of Unmanned Mobile Vehicles. European Journal of Control 19(2):157–171, March 2013. URL PDF BibTeX

    @article{Saska13:206004,
	author = "Saska, M. and Mejia, J.S. and Stipanovic, D.M. and Vonasek, V. and Schilling, K. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Control and Navigation in Manoeuvres of Formations of Unmanned Mobile Vehicles}",
	journal = "European Journal of Control",
	year = 2013,
	volume = 19,
	number = 2,
	pages = "157--171",
	month = "March",
	issn = "0947-3580",
	language = "English",
	url = "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0947358013000204",
	pdf = "data/papers/European_Journal_control2013.pdf"
}

  8. M Saska, V Vonasek and L Preucil. Trajectory Planning and Control for Airport Snow Sweeping by Autonomous Formations of Ploughs. Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems 72(2):239–261, November 2013. URL PDF BibTeX

    @article{Saska13:210714,
	author = "Saska, M. and Vonasek, V. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Trajectory Planning and Control for Airport Snow Sweeping by Autonomous Formations of Ploughs}",
	journal = "Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems",
	year = 2013,
	volume = 72,
	number = 2,
	pages = "239--261",
	month = "November",
	issn = "0921-0296",
	language = "English",
	url = "http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs10846-013-9829-3",
	pdf = "data/papers/JINT2013_2leaders.pdf"
}

  9. J Faigl, T Krajnik, V Vonasek and L Preucil. Surveillance Planning with Localization Uncertainty for UAVs. In 3rd Israeli Conference on Robotics,. 2010, –. URL BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Faigl10:171601,
	author = "Faigl, J. and Krajnik, T. and Vonasek, V. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Surveillance Planning with Localization Uncertainty for UAVs}",
	booktitle = "{3rd Israeli Conference on Robotics,}",
	publisher = "Ariel University Center",
	address = "Ariel",
	year = 2010,
	pages = "--",
	language = "English",
	url = "http://www.icr2010.org.il/"
}

  10. J Faigl, V Vonasek and L Preucil. A Multi-Goal Path Planning for Goal Regions in the Polygonal Domain. In Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots. 2011, 171–176. BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Faigl11:182178,
	author = "Faigl, J. and Vonasek, V. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{A Multi-Goal Path Planning for Goal Regions in the Polygonal Domain}",
	booktitle = "{Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots}",
	publisher = "AASS Research Centre",
	address = {{\" O}rebro},
	year = 2011,
	pages = "171--176",
	language = "English"
}

  11. V Vonasek, J Faigl, T Krajnik and L Preucil. A Sampling Schema for Rapidly Exploring Random Trees Using a Guiding Path. In Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots. 2011, 201–206. PDF BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Vonasek11:182177,
	author = "Vonasek, V. and Faigl, J. and Krajnik, T. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{A Sampling Schema for Rapidly Exploring Random Trees Using a Guiding Path}",
	booktitle = "{Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Mobile Robots}",
	publisher = "AASS Research Centre",
	address = {{\" O}rebro},
	year = 2011,
	pages = "201--206",
	language = "English",
	pdf = "data/papers/ecmr2011.pdf"
}

  12. V Vonasek, J Faigl, T Krajnik and L Preucil. RRT-Path: a guided Rapidly exploring Random Tree. In Robot Motion and Control 2009. 2009, 307–316. PDF BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Vonasek09:158239,
	author = "Vonasek, V. and Faigl, J. and Krajnik, T. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{RRT-Path: a guided Rapidly exploring Random Tree}",
	booktitle = "{Robot Motion and Control 2009}",
	publisher = "Springer",
	address = "Heidelberg",
	year = 2009,
	pages = "307--316",
	isbn = "978-1-84882-984-8",
	issn = "0302-9743",
	language = "English",
	pdf = "data/papers/romoco2009rrtpath.pdf"
}

  13. V Vonasek, K Kosnar and L Preucil. Motion Planning of Self-reconfigurable Modular Robots Using Rapidly Exploring Random Trees. In Joint Proceedings of the 13th Annual TAROS Conference and the 15th Annual FIRA RoboWorld Congress. 2012, 279–290. PDF BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Vonasek12:194431,
	author = "Vonasek, V. and Kosnar, K. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Motion Planning of Self-reconfigurable Modular Robots Using Rapidly Exploring Random Trees}",
	booktitle = "{Joint Proceedings of the 13th Annual TAROS Conference and the 15th Annual FIRA RoboWorld Congress}",
	publisher = "Springer",
	address = "Dordrecht",
	year = 2012,
	pages = "279--290",
	isbn = "978-3-642-32526-7",
	issn = "0302-9743",
	language = "English",
	pdf = "data/papers/taros2012modular.pdf"
}

  14. V Vonasek, M Saska and L Preucil. Motion Planning for a Cable Driven Parallel Multiple Manipulator Emulating a Swarm of MAVs. In ROBOT MOTION AND CONTROL 2013. 2013, 13–18. BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Vonasek13:206161,
	author = "Vonasek, V. and Saska, M. and Preucil, L.",
	title = "{Motion Planning for a Cable Driven Parallel Multiple Manipulator Emulating a Swarm of MAVs}",
	booktitle = "{ROBOT MOTION AND CONTROL 2013}",
	publisher = "IEEE Robotics and Automation Society",
	address = "Pistacaway, NJ",
	year = 2013,
	pages = "13--18",
	isbn = "978-1-4673-5511-7",
	language = "English"
}