Path Planning

You are currently viewing the documentation for the latest version (2.2.0). To access a different version, click the "Switch version" button located in the upper-right corner of the page.

■ If you are not sure which version of the product you are currently using, please feel free to contact Mech-Mind Technical Support.

Function

This Step uses the input vision points to plan the robot path and outputs the successfully planned robot path.

The Path Planning Step feature is Mech-Viz-related and requires Mech-Viz installation and software licensing to use the Step.

Please ensure that you have successfully established the communication between the robot and the software before using this Step.
When using the Standard Interface communication for communication, you will need to start the Mech-Vision project with command 101. The specific command parameters you should send are: 101, Mech-Vision project ID, expected number of vision points, robot pose type, robot pose.

Usage Scenario

This Step is usually used in projects where the Standard Interface or Adapter is used for communication, and only the robot motion path near the vision point needs to be planned. After you build a scene and input the vision points, this Step will output a collision-free robot motion path after point cloud collision detection and path planning.

The common predecessors and successor of this Step are as follows:

Predecessors: Steps related to pose adjustment and pose processing.
Steps to follow: Output Step (with the "Output Type" parameter set to "Robot path for picking").

Input and Output

Input

Input port	Data type	Description
Pick Points	Pose[]	List of pick points of the target objects.
Pick Point Info	JsonValue	Pick point related information, including target object names, pick point names, and pick point labels.
Collision Point Cloud	PointCloud[]	Point cloud input to this port will be used for collision detection with the tool. (Point cloud collision detection should be enabled in the Path Planning Tool.)
Pick Point Labels	String[]	Labels for pick points set in the target object editor, typically used for Standard Interface communication with the host computer.
Target Object Dimensions	Size3D[]	The dimensions of the target object.
Pick Point Offset	Pose[]	The offset of the pick point on the target object relative to the object center point.
Scene Object Names	String[]	List of scene object names. The dimensions and poses of objects in this list will be updated.
Scene Object Dimensions	Size3D[]	List of scene object dimensions. Scene object dimensions will be updated in list order.
Scene Object Poses	Pose[]	List of scene object poses. Scene object poses will be updated in list order.

Input port

Data type

Description

Pick Points

Pose[]

List of pick points of the target objects.

Pick Point Info

JsonValue

Pick point related information, including target object names, pick point names, and pick point labels.

Collision Point Cloud

PointCloud[]

Point cloud input to this port will be used for collision detection with the tool. (Point cloud collision detection should be enabled in the Path Planning Tool.)

Pick Point Labels

String[]

Labels for pick points set in the target object editor, typically used for Standard Interface communication with the host computer.

Target Object Dimensions

Size3D[]

The dimensions of the target object.

Pick Point Offset

Pose[]

The offset of the pick point on the target object relative to the object center point.

Scene Object Names

String[]

List of scene object names. The dimensions and poses of objects in this list will be updated.

Scene Object Dimensions

Size3D[]

List of scene object dimensions. Scene object dimensions will be updated in list order.

Scene Object Poses

Pose[]

List of scene object poses. Scene object poses will be updated in list order.

Output

Output port	Data type	Description
Planned Path	JsonValue	Planned robot path.
Filtered Results	Bool[]	The list of the filtered pick points. True indicates that the corresponding pick point meets the requirement while False indicates that the pick point does not meet the requirement.

Output port

Data type

Description

Planned Path

JsonValue

Planned robot path.

Filtered Results

Bool[]

The list of the filtered pick points. True indicates that the corresponding pick point meets the requirement while False indicates that the pick point does not meet the requirement.

Parameter Description

Path Planning Settings

Parameter	Description
Workflow Configuration	Description: Open the path planning tool and select the configured workflow in the drop-down list.
Update Scene Object	Description: When this option is enabled, the Scene Object Names, Scene Object Dimensions, and Scene Object Poses input ports will be added for updating the poses and dimensions of scene objects such as the bin. Default value: Disabled

Parameter

Description

Workflow Configuration

Description: Open the path planning tool and select the configured workflow in the drop-down list.

Update Scene Object

Description: When this option is enabled, the Scene Object Names, Scene Object Dimensions, and Scene Object Poses input ports will be added for updating the poses and dimensions of scene objects such as the bin.
Default value: Disabled

Usage Scenario

Parameter	Description
Select Scenario	Description: Select the usage scenario of the current solution. Value list: 3D model matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly), Depalletizing and others Instruction: 3D model matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly): Suitable for scenarios where target objects are created in the target object editor and the target object poses are obtained by matching with the point cloud model. For example, machine tending, positioning, and assembly applications. See Target Object Recognition in Machine Tending Scenarios. Depalletizing and others: Suitable for scenarios where target object poses can be obtained directly by deep learning or other methods without matching with the point cloud model, such as random depalletizing and picking of versatile objects. See Target Object Recognition in Depalletizing Scenarios and Target Object Recognition in Other Scenarios. Default value: 3D model matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly)
Method to Convert Data	Description: By selecting the result conversion method, this Step converts the recognition result to the data type needed for picking. Value list: Generate picking strategy based on object center point, Generate picking strategy based on pick points Generate picking strategy based on object center point: Suitable for symmetrical target objects, requiring orientation adjustment of the object center point. Once this option is selected, you need to input the object center point for the “Output” Step, which will automatically convert the object center point to the corresponding pick point. Generate picking strategy based on pick points: Suitable for target objects with multiple pick points that need to be filtered. Once this option is selected, you need to input the pick point and pick point information to the “Output” Step. Default value: Generate picking strategy based on object center point
Target Object without Point Cloud Model	Description: Select a target object that does not require a point cloud model, and this Step can output pick point information for the target object. Please set this parameter when the usage scenario is “Depalletizing and Others”.

Parameter

Description

Select Scenario

Description: Select the usage scenario of the current solution.

Value list: 3D model matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly), Depalletizing and others

Instruction:

3D model matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly): Suitable for scenarios where target objects are created in the target object editor and the target object poses are obtained by matching with the point cloud model. For example, machine tending, positioning, and assembly applications. See Target Object Recognition in Machine Tending Scenarios.
Depalletizing and others: Suitable for scenarios where target object poses can be obtained directly by deep learning or other methods without matching with the point cloud model, such as random depalletizing and picking of versatile objects. See Target Object Recognition in Depalletizing Scenarios and Target Object Recognition in Other Scenarios.

Default value: 3D model matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly)

Method to Convert Data

Description: By selecting the result conversion method, this Step converts the recognition result to the data type needed for picking.

Value list: Generate picking strategy based on object center point, Generate picking strategy based on pick points

Generate picking strategy based on object center point: Suitable for symmetrical target objects, requiring orientation adjustment of the object center point. Once this option is selected, you need to input the object center point for the “Output” Step, which will automatically convert the object center point to the corresponding pick point.
Generate picking strategy based on pick points: Suitable for target objects with multiple pick points that need to be filtered. Once this option is selected, you need to input the pick point and pick point information to the “Output” Step.

Default value: Generate picking strategy based on object center point

Target Object without Point Cloud Model

Description: Select a target object that does not require a point cloud model, and this Step can output pick point information for the target object. Please set this parameter when the usage scenario is “Depalletizing and Others”.

Collision Detection Settings

Parameter	Description
Point Cloud in Camera Frame	Description: Please select this parameter when the point cloud is in the camera reference frame. Once this option is selected, the point cloud will be converted to the robot reference frame and sent to the path planning tool. If this option is not selected, the point cloud will be sent to the path planning tool directly. Default setting: selected.
Remove Point Cloud of Irregular Shape	Description: Once this option is enabled, any point cloud overlapping with the collision model of the target object with a non-standard 3D shape will be removed by Mech-Vision to prevent interference in collision detection. Please set this parameter when the usage scenario is “Matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly).” Default setting: Unselected Instruction: If you need to detect collisions on target objects throughout the entire process from picking to placing, please select this parameter and make sure that the collision model is configured for the target object. Please note that this parameter is invalid for target objects generated with common 3D shapes in the target object editor.
Search Radius of Target Object Point Cloud	Description: Take any point in the point cloud of the target object as the center, and the point cloud within the search radius will be removed. Please set this parameter when Remove Point Cloud of Irregular Shape is selected. Default value: 3 mm

Parameter

Description

Point Cloud in Camera Frame

Description: Please select this parameter when the point cloud is in the camera reference frame. Once this option is selected, the point cloud will be converted to the robot reference frame and sent to the path planning tool. If this option is not selected, the point cloud will be sent to the path planning tool directly.
Default setting: selected.

Remove Point Cloud of Irregular Shape

Description: Once this option is enabled, any point cloud overlapping with the collision model of the target object with a non-standard 3D shape will be removed by Mech-Vision to prevent interference in collision detection. Please set this parameter when the usage scenario is “Matching (Machine Tending/Positioning/Assembly).”
Default setting: Unselected
Instruction: If you need to detect collisions on target objects throughout the entire process from picking to placing, please select this parameter and make sure that the collision model is configured for the target object. Please note that this parameter is invalid for target objects generated with common 3D shapes in the target object editor.

Search Radius of Target Object Point Cloud

Description: Take any point in the point cloud of the target object as the center, and the point cloud within the search radius will be removed. Please set this parameter when Remove Point Cloud of Irregular Shape is selected.
Default value: 3 mm

Other Ports

Parameter	Description
Pick Point Labels	Description: When selected, a "Pick Point Labels" input port is added. Default setting: Unselected
Target Object Dimensions	Description: When selected, a "Target Object Dimensions" input port is added. Default setting: Unselected
Pick Point Offset	Description: When selected, a "Pick Point Offset" input port is added. Default setting: Unselected

Parameter

Description

Pick Point Labels

Description: When selected, a "Pick Point Labels" input port is added.
Default setting: Unselected

Target Object Dimensions

Description: When selected, a "Target Object Dimensions" input port is added.
Default setting: Unselected

Pick Point Offset

Description: When selected, a "Pick Point Offset" input port is added.
Default setting: Unselected

Is this page helpful?

Leave a feedback

Thanks for your support!

You can give a feedback in any of the following ways:

We Value Your Privacy

We use cookies to provide you with the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use the site, you acknowledge that you agree to the use of cookies. If you decline, a single cookie will be used to ensure you're not tracked or remembered when you visit this website.

I accept

I don't accept