Trajectory Planning of Projectile Catching Maneuvers for Robotic Manipulators

This article introduces a trajectory planning approach for the catching of projectiles with a serial robotic manipulator. A description of the trajectory of the projectiles to be caught is first given. Then, a heuristic approach is introduced in order to determine the interception (catching) point. The planning of the robot trajectory that is required to reach the interception point with the proper velocity is then presented, based on polynomial interpolation. Finally, the trajectory of the robot used to decelerate and stop the projectile is planned. Examples of catching maneuvers are provided in order to illustrate the proposed trajectory planning technique.