Multi-waypoint-based path planning for free-floating space robots

This paper studies the multi-waypoint-based path planning problem (MWPP) for redundant space robots. The end-effector of a space robot should visit a set of predefined waypoints with optimal distance, and the free-floating base should suffer minimum attitude disturbances from the manipulator during manoeuver. The MWPP is decomposed into two sub-problems: the problem of optimal waypoint-sequence and the problem of optimal joint-movements. First, the Hybrid Self-adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is proposed for optimal waypoint-sequence. Second, an Improved Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm, combined with direct kinematics of the space robot, is proposed for optimal jointmovements. Finally, simulations are presented to validate the approach, including comparisons with other approaches.