Progress on the Algorithmic Optimization of Robot Motion

An important technique for computing motions for robot systems is to conduct a numerical search for a trajectory that minimizes a physical criteria like energy, control effort, jerk, or time. In this paper, we provide example solutions of these types of optimal control problems, and develop a framework to solve these problems reliably. Our approach uses an efficient solver for both inverse and forward dynamics along with the sensitivity of these quantities used to compute gradients, and a reliable optimal control solver. We give an overview of our algorithms for these elements in this paper. The optimal control solver has been the primary focus of our recent work. This algorithm creates optimal motions in a numerically stable and efficient manner. Similar to sequential quadratic programming for solving finite-dimensional optimization problems, our approach solves the infinite-dimensional problem using a sequence of linear-quadratic optimal control subproblems. Each subproblem is solved efficiently and reliably using the Riccati differential equation.