The planning problem for a mobile manipulator system that must perform a sequence of tasks defined by position, orientation, force, and moment vectors at the end-effector is considered. Each task can be performed in multiple configurations due to the redundancy introduced by mobility. The planning problem is formulated as an optimization problem in which the decision variables for mobility (base position) are separated from the manipulator joint angles in the cost function. The resulting numerical problem is nonlinear with nonconvex, unconnected feasible regions in the decision space. Simulated annealing is proposed as a general solution method for obtaining near-optimal results. The problem formulation and numerical solution by simulated annealing are illustrated for a manipulator system with three degrees of freedom mounted on a base with two degrees of freedom. The results are compared with results obtained by conventional nonlinear programming techniques customized for the particular example system.
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