Online Optimization and Trajectory Planning for Energy Efficiency in a Robotic Linear Axis

Energy efficiency is a challenging and relevant research field in modern manufacturing industries, where robotic systems play an essential role in the automation of several industrial operations. In this paper we present the dynamic modelling of a robotic linear axis and a method for the online optimization of point-to-point motions of the system. Exploiting the verified dynamic model of the system, the trajectories are optimized online for two different cases, namely minimum-time and minimum-time-energy, allowing the execution of sequential optimal motions without idle times. The experimental results shows the feasibility and the energy saving capabilities of the proposed optimization approach, allowing to flexibly select the best trade-off between execution time and energy consumption.