Path Planning

What is path planning? Today we will talk about two different (but somewhat related) fields. In the context of digital fabrication, path planning refers specifically to toolpath planning, which deals with how you move a tool around in space in order to create a part (whether subtractively or additively). In robotics, path planning refers to how a robot should move around in space to accomplish its goals (often just getting from point A to point B without crashing into anything along the way). The first is a core competence for machines that make things, but both are relevant for assembly based manufacturing.

Computational Geometry

Foundational techniques for representing and processing geometric information

Subtractive Path Planning

Milling path planning methods, toolpathing generation, dynamic path planning

Additive path planning

Geometry validation, mesh repair, Slicers, and infill patterns

Robotic Path Planning

Map representation, Classic shortest-distance graph algorithms, sample-based path planning, machine learning

Collaborative Path Planning

Multi-robot planning, synchronization, networks

Software Resources

list of open source software resources for all types of motion planning needs