Abstract
We present an algorithm for path planning for a flexible
robot in complex environments. Our algorithm computes a collision free
path by taking into account geometric and physical constraints,
including obstacle avoidance, non-penetration, volume preservation,
surface tension, and energy minimization. We describe a new algorithm
for collision detection between a deformable robot and fixed obstacles
using graphics processors. We also present techniques to efficiently
handle complex deformable models composed of tens of thousands of
polygons and obtain significant performance improvements over previous
approaches. Moreover, we demonstrate a practical application of our
algorithm in performing path planning of catheters in liver
chemoembolization.
