Robotic manipulator having a task null space

A method of controlling a robotic manipulator having an end effector, wherein the robotic manipulator has redundant degrees of freedom in its kinematic chain from a base to the end effector, the method comprising:

• providing information about a task to be performed by the robotic manipulator;
• determining via a computing unit a task null space from the information provided, wherein the task null space is characterized by a set of variations of at least one kinematic variable of the end effector with all of which the task is capable of being carried out;
• establishing via the computing unit observation points by discretizing the task null space into a finite plurality of variations;
• determining a respective robot null space for each of the observation points of the task null space by executing via the computing unit the kinematic or dynamic model of the robotic manipulator for each of the observation points, wherein the robot null space is characterized by a movement in the redundant degrees of freedom without necessarily changing the kinematic variable that varied within the task null space;
• executing an optimization method to maximize or minimize a predetermined target function, wherein the optimization method comprises executing a kinematic or dynamic model of the robotic manipulator for each of the observation points, and
• controlling the robotic manipulator to assume an optimal variation from the task null space determined according to a result of the optimization method, wherein the optimization method comprises the finite plurality of variations in the task null space and controllable values in the degrees of freedom of the kinematic chain in the respective robot null space as variables, so that the control of the robotic manipulator assumes the optimal variation determined according to the result of the optimization method from the task null space and the determined optimal values in the degrees of freedom of the kinematic chain occurs in the robot null space.