Trajectory Optimization of Energy Consumption and Expected Service Life of a Robotic System

Operating times of several years indicate a high influence of energy consumption on the resource efficiency of a robotic system. Consequently, the energy efficiency is addressed by various methods related to the improvement of hardware or to optimal motion planning. However, the service life and a potential prolongation impact the resource efficiency as well. Correspondingly, a multi-objective trajectory optimization allows to consider energy consumption and expected service life in conjunction. To this end, both criteria are modeled based on the structure and components of an exemplary manipulator. Simplifications of the objective function are proposed for optimization purposes. Corresponding results for an exemplary task are discussed and indicate the feasibility of the simplified objective function. Furthermore, the results highlight a large potential of increased service life as well as a conflict of interest, as maximizing the service life comes at the cost of increased energy consumption. Thus, the combined optimization of energy consumption and service life indicates the importance of considering both criteria in order to contribute to the overall resource efficiency of the system.