Real-time trajectory generation in multi-RCCL

This article describes the design of the trajectory generator for a robot programming system called Multi-RCCL, which is a package of “C” routines for doing real-time manipulator control in a UNIX environment. RCCL has been used successfully in developing robot control applications in numerous research and industry facilities over the last several years. One of its strongest features is the ability to integrate real-time sensor control into the manipulator task specification. RCCL primitives supply the trajectory generator with target points for motions in joint or Cartesian coordinates. Other primitives allow the code developer to specify on-line functions that can modify the target points, or possibly cancel motion requests, in response to various sensor or control inputs. The design requirements of the trajectory generator are that it be able to integrate these on-line modifications into the overall robot motion and provide a smooth path between adjacent motions even when sensor inputs make the future trajectory uncertain.