Eco Motion Planning for Mechatronic Systems

Abstract

Saving energy while retaining productivity is one of the most desired features in the modern production industry, which is currently responsible for a notable amount of the worldwide energy need. Cutting down the costs of an energivorous plant does not just provide economic savings, but it also reduces the carbon footprint of commercial products. In this chapter, the wise use of energy in mechatronic systems is discussed, by focusing on Eco Motion Planning (EMP). The basic idea is that an optimized motion planning, in terms of the selection of the motion time, of the motion profile, of the spatial trajectory and the ofmotion scheduling, can remarkably reduce energy absorption without affecting the throughput of the mechatronic system. The chapter briefly reviews the most relevant methods that have been proposed in the literature, ranging from simple machines with constant inertia to industrial robots, and provides the most relevant equations and models of the energy consumption that can be used in EMP. A numerical test case is then analyzed to outline a method for designing an energy optimal motion profile and optimal scheduling in a robotic cell made by a system with constant inertia, and a multi-axis robot governed by a nonlinear dynamic model. Despite its conceptual simplicity, the proposed method ensures remarkable energy improvements while retaining productivity and without requiring any physical alteration of the plant and clearly proves the benefit of EMP.