An Abductive Reasoning Approach for Energy Saving in Robotic Systems

The velocity and acceleration commands of industrial robots are set to their maximum values to shorten the cycle time of products. However, the excessively high speed and acceleration for movements can cause unnecessary mechanical energy and electricity consumption. This paper proposes an energy-saving approach for robotic systems based on abductive reasoning. Results for different combinations of speed commands and acceleration commands are evaluated based on energy consumption and cycle time. Moreover, a well-designed abduction rule formula is used to achieve a good balance between cycle time and mechanical energy consumption of industrial robots. Simulation results of a Franka robot by ROS, Gazebo, and Moveit verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.