Systems and methods for avoiding collisions between manipulator arms using a null-space

A robotic system comprising:

• a first manipulator arm including a first distal portion, a first proximal portion coupled to a first base, and a plurality of first joints between the first distal portion and the first base, the plurality of first joints having a joint space with sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of differing joint states of the plurality of first joints for a given state of the first distal portion;
• a second manipulator arm including a second distal portion, a second proximal portion coupled to a second base, and a plurality of second joints between the second distal portion and the second base, the plurality of second joints having a joint space with sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of differing joint states of the plurality of second joints for a given state of the second distal portion;
• and
• one or more processors configured to perform operations including:
• determining a first reference geometry corresponding to a structure of the first manipulator arm and a second reference geometry corresponding to a structure of the second manipulator arm;
• determining an avoidance vector based on a relative state of the first reference geometry and the second reference geometry in a workspace of the robotic system;
• determining an avoidance movement of one or more joints of the pluralities of first joints and second joints to maintain a separation between the first and second reference geometries in the workspace, the avoidance movement being based on the avoidance vector, and the avoidance movement maintaining a desired state of the first distal portion and a desired state of the second distal portion;
• and
• driving the one or more joints of the pluralities of first joints and second joints according to the determined avoidance movement.

A non-transitory readable memory storing a processor-implemented program for performing avoidance movements in a robotic system, the program including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• determining a first reference geometry corresponding to a structure of a first manipulator arm of the robotic system, the first manipulator arm including a first distal portion, a first proximal portion coupled to a first base, and a plurality of first joints between the first distal portion and the first base, and the plurality of first joints having a joint space with sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of differing joint states of the plurality of first joints for a given state of the first distal portion;
• determining a second reference geometry corresponding to a structure of a second manipulator arm of the robotic system, the second manipulator arm including a second distal portion, a second proximal portion coupled to a second base, and a plurality of second joints between the second distal portion and the second base, and the plurality of second joints having a joint space with sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of differing joint states of the plurality of second joints for a given state of the second distal portion;
• determining an avoidance vector based on a relative state of the first reference geometry and the second reference geometry in a workspace of the robotic system;
• determining an avoidance movement of one or more joints of the pluralities of first joints and second joints to maintain a separation between the first and second reference geometries in the workspace, the avoidance movement being based on the avoidance vector , and the avoidance movement maintaining a desired state of the first distal portion and a desired state of the second distal portion;
• and
• driving the one or more joints of the pluralities of first joints and second joints according to the determined avoidance movement.