One Interface, Many Robots: Unified Real-Time Low-Level Motion Planning for Collaborative Arms
2026-04-09 • Robotics
Robotics
AI summaryⓘ
The authors developed a simple and flexible way to control robot arms in real-time that works across different types of hardware. They built on their previous system, WOS, which helps different robot parts work together through common software commands. Their method uses math techniques to create smooth and precise movements for the robot's hand. They tested this on tasks like drawing shapes, catching objects on a moving platform, and controlling one robot arm with another. These tests showed their approach is reliable and easy to use in different scenarios.
real-time motion planningrobotic armsmiddlewaretrajectory controlpolynomial interpolationquadratic programmingend-effectorteleoperationcollaborative robotsrobot kinematics
Authors
Yue Feng, Weicheng Huang, I-Ming Chen
Abstract
This paper proposes a common interface for real-time low-level motion planning of collaborative robotic arms, aimed at enabling broader applicability and improved portability across heterogeneous hardware platforms. In previous work, we introduced WinGs Operating Studio (WOS), a middleware solution that abstracts diverse robotic components into uniform software resources and provides a broad suite of language-agnostic APIs. This paper specifically focuses on its minimal yet flexible interface for real-time end-effector trajectory control. By employing an n-degree polynomial interpolator in conjunction with a quadratic programming solver, the proposed method generates smooth, continuously differentiable trajectories with precise position, velocity, and acceleration profiles. We validate our approach in three distinct scenarios. First, in an offline demonstration, a collaborative arm accurately draws various geometric shapes on paper. Second, in an interruptible, low-frequency re-planning setting, a robotic manipulator grasps a dynamic object placed on a moving mobile robot. Finally, we conducted a teleoperation experiment in which one robotic arm controlled another to perform a series of dexterous manipulations, confirming the proposed method's reliability, versatility, and ease of use.