Glossary · Robotics
Trajectory planning
Also known as: Path planning, Motion planning
German: Bahnplanung
In robotics and motion control, trajectory planning is the computation of how a robot or axis moves from start to goal over time: the geometric path plus velocity, acceleration and jerk profiles, within the limits of the joints and the task.
- Robotics
In one sentence
Trajectory planning computes the path and the velocity, acceleration and jerk profiles a robot or axis follows from start to goal.
Example
The controller's trajectory planning limits jerk so that the full water bottles in the gripper do not slosh during the fast transfer move.
How it applies
- Engineering: Path planning determines where the robot goes; trajectory planning adds when. Mobile robots and flexible cells use automatic motion planning around obstacles; classic industrial robots follow programmed paths with controller-generated speed profiles.
- Commissioning: Cycle time, vibration and path accuracy depend on acceleration and blending settings, which are tuned on the real system.
- Documentation: The documentation team should document which parameters influence motion (speed, acceleration, blending) and who may change them, since they affect cycle time, quality and, where speed monitoring applies, safety settings.
Trajectory planning vs. path planning
Path planning finds a collision-free geometric route. Trajectory planning adds timing along the route. The terms are often used loosely; German Bahnplanung usually covers both.