Path Planning Device, Path Planning Method, and Computer Program

A path planning method of planning a position and posture path of a control target in a motion space from present position and posture to target position and posture, comprising the steps of:

• acquiring an initial position and posture path including a plurality of nodes connecting the present position and posture of the control target to the target position and posture and configuring a rigid body corresponding to the control target in each node in the position and posture path;
• detecting interference with the control target in the position and posture path by an obstruction existing in the motion space;
• calculating an external force for each rigid body expressing a requirement for smoothing the position and posture path and avoiding interference by the obstruction;
• and
• performing a multi rigid body system dynamics simulation on a plurality of equations of rigid body motion in which coupled motions of the plurality of rigid bodies on which the calculated external forces act, respectively, and acquiring positions and postures of the control target at times corresponding to the nodes in the position and posture path on the basis of the positions and postures of the rigid bodies when the path is convergent to a predetermined state.

A computer program which is described in a computer-readable manner so as to cause a computer to perform processes of planning a position and posture path of a control target in a motion space from present position and posture to target position and posture, the computer program causing the computer to serve as:

• an initial position and posture path acquiring unit which acquires an initial position and posture path including a plurality of nodes connecting the present position and posture of the control target to the target position and posture and which configures a rigid body corresponding to the control target in each node in the position and posture path;
• an interference detector which detects interference with the control target in the position and posture path by an obstruction existing in the motion space;
• an external force calculator which calculates an external force for each rigid body expressing a requirement for smoothing the position and posture path and avoiding interference by the obstruction;
• and
• a multi rigid body system dynamics simulation unit which performs a multi rigid body system dynamics simulation on a plurality of equations of rigid body motion in which coupled motions of the plurality of rigid bodies on which the external forces calculated by the external force calculator act, respectively, and which acquires positions and postures of the control target at times corresponding to the nodes in the position and posture path on the basis of the positions and postures of the rigid bodies when the path is convergent to a predetermined state.