Experimental validation and comparative analysis of optimal time-jerk algorithms for trajectory planning

In this paper, two minimum time-jerk trajectory planning algorithms for robotic manipulators have been considered, evaluated and experimentally validated. These algorithms consider both the execution time and the integral of the squared jerk along the whole trajectory, so as to take into account the need for fast execution and the need for a smooth trajectory, by adjusting the values of two weights. A comparative analysis of these algorithms with two different trajectory planning techniques taken from the literature has been carried out, by means of experimental tests performed on a real robotic manipulator. The results prove the experimental effectiveness of the proposed techniques. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.