Optimal collision-free grip planning for biped climbing robots in complex truss environment

Biped climbing robots (BiCRs) can overcome obstacles and perform transition easily thanks to their superior flexibility. However, to move in a complex truss environment, grips from the original point to the destination, as a sequence of anchor points along the route, are indispensable. In this paper, a grip planning method is presented for BiCRs generating optimal collision-free grip sequences, as a continuation of our previous work on global path planning. A mathematic model is firstly built up for computing the operational regions for negotiating obstacle members. Then a grip optimization model is proposed to determine the grips within each operational region for transition or for obstacle negotiation. This model ensures the total number of required climbing steps is minimized and the transition grips are with good manipulability. Lastly, the entire grip sequence satisfying the robot kinematic constraint is generated by a gait interpreter. Simulations are conducted with our self-developed biped climbing robot (Climbot), to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methodology.