Motion planning is the process of programming robots to move towards a specific destination, either through computer vision or obstacle programming. It can also be used in video game programming to prevent characters from walking through walls and to program NPC paths. The robot is not given a defined path, but rather subtle programming to figure out its way to the destination. More advanced versions of motion planning involve complex movements, such as going down stairs or ramps.
Motion planning refers to how movements in robots can be planned, usually to reach a certain waypoint or to reach different destinations in sequential order. This can be done by giving the robot computer vision or by programming the motion planning with all obstacles in the given space so that the robot immediately knows the geometry of the space. In addition to simple movements such as moving forward, the robot may also need to be built for complex movements such as going down stairs. While most commonly used for robotics, it also has a place in video game programming, where it prevents characters from walking through walls and programs non-playable characters (NPCs).
The main task of motion planning is to tell a robot how to move. The control is normally subtle and the robot is not given a defined path, but usually the robot is told the location of the endpoint. Subtle programming means the robot will know its way around, but won’t be strictly told to move forward a certain distance to reach the goal. This can be used to give the robot a place to go to, or the robot can be programmed with several destinations to go to in sequential order. With normally subtle control, the robot will use all known information to figure out its way to its destination.
There are normally two different technologies that can be used to help with motion planning. Computer vision, or enabling robots to see and recognize obstacles, can be used so that the robot knows what it can and cannot go through when trying to reach its destination. Programming in all the known obstacles and geometry of space, such as its size and shape, can be as useful as computer vision, but it tends to lack versatility.
For basic motion planning, the robot should only be built for simple motions that involve moving forwards and backwards. More advanced versions of motion planning involve complex movements, such as going down stairs or ramps. To accommodate this, the robot would need to have a body capable of performing these movements.
Motion planning is typically used in reference to robotics, but can also be used for video game programming. When it comes to the player character, this helps ensure that the character cannot walk through the game’s solid objects, such as walls and miscellaneous objects. For NPC paths, especially those that are not tightly programmed, this can ensure that the NPC traverses the game space correctly.
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