Working Path Optimization of Manipulator Arm of Underwater Robot Based on Ant Colony Algorithm

To improve the efficiency of the manipulator arm of an underwater robot for cleaning jackets and to shorten the motor working time under high load, the sonar echo data are used to identify the distribution of attachments onto the working area, and two working path planning algorithms of manipulator arm based on ant colony algorithm is proposed by respectively taking the shortest working time and the minimum energy consumption as the optimization targets. A three-dimensional kinematic model of the manipulator arm is established through the software MATLAB and PRO/E. Two optimal paths are obtained by the proposed algorithms for a certain random attachment distribution. Simulation results show that compared with the traditional scan path, the proposed two working path planning algorithms increase the working efficiency of the manipulator arm by more than 2 times and reduce its energy consumption by 50% under the premise of satisfying the range of working area, verifying the feasibility of the two proposed path planning algorithms.