Real-Time Motion Planning for Complex Robotic Tasks

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Robots are moving beyond the factory floor and into warehouses, private homes, commercial workplaces, hospitals, and the outdoors. This transition is being driven by rapid advances in robot technology. We are reaching a point where ground vehicles and aerial drones can be purchased at low cost. In addition, when the robot environment is known beforehand, capable algorithms exist for planning motion to perform complex tasks. However, real-world environments evolve in unpredictable ways. Humans may be moving in the environment, locations of obstacles may be unknown, and robots may not even be certain of their exact location. Such environments pose significant challenges. Robots can no longer fully plan their motion in advance, and they must react to environmental changes safely and in real-time. The long-term objective of the proposed research is to develop flexible robot motion planners that enable robots to efficiently complete complex motion tasks in the face of uncertainty. The driving idea behind this research program is to utilize extensive offline computation to determine motion strategies and contingencies, "preparing" the robot for the online and real-time execution. Online, we can leverage incremental motion planners to efficiently adapt robot motion. This research program will address several key research challenges related to planning under uncertainty. This will encompass methods for revising motion plans online, approaches for automatically determining what aspects of a robot mission can be planned independently, and techniques for planning when a robot is not even certain of its own location in its workspace. We will also tackle problems in finding efficient motion plans for robots with complex dynamics. A major barrier to the adoption of robotics is the initial investment required to develop efficient and safe robot motion controllers. This research will provide fundamental advances in robot motion planning that help reduce these costs. Worldwide, the robotics industry is expected to grow to $200 billion dollars annually by 2025. Canada's robotics industry is growing rapidly, and as these companies grow, they are transitioning their focus from building robot hardware to providing complete robotic solutions. The proposed research will lay the foundation on which general-purpose robots can be built, and from which complete robotic solutions can be offered. The program will produce highly qualified personnel in the rapidly-growing field of robotics. These students will have access to state-of-the-art robotics facilities at Waterloo, and will become experts both in developing robot autonomy and in working with robot hardware. This will position HQP at the forefront of a growing and transformative field.