SM01-144: A Voronoi-Based Framework for Motion Planning and Maintainability Applications

We present a new approach for motion planning and maintainability studies in complex 3D CAD environments. It automatically computes a collision-free path for moving objects among stationary and completely known obstacles. Our framework uses a combination of analytic, criticalitybased and probabilistic techniques to compute the path. It starts with an global strategy, which uses an approximate Voronoi diagram of the workspace, computed using graphics hardware, and combines it with bridges computed by a localized path planner. The resulting system has been used for planning the path of free-flying rigid as well as articulated bodies. Applications of our system include robot motion planning, part removal, and assembly planning. We have implemented a simple planner within this framework and tested it on a number of benchmarks.