Collision-Free Motion Planning with Obstacle Avoidance for Line Inspection Robots

Xiangli Lu; Wenwei Li; Bin Chen

doi:10.48084/etasr.17123

Authors

Xiangli Lu College of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Mechanical & Electrical Polytechnic, China
Wenwei Li College of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Mechanical & Electrical Polytechnic, China
Bin Chen College of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Mechanical & Electrical Polytechnic, China

Volume: 16 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 34057-34064 | April 2026 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.17123

Received: 23 December 2025 | Revised: 17 January 2026, 30 January 2026, 6 February 2026, and 8 February 2026 | Accepted: 11 February 2026 | Online: 4 April 2026

Corresponding author: Wenwei Li

Abstract

This study presents a 7-DOF inspection robot designed for overhead high-voltage transmission line maintenance, with a focus on horizontal twin-bundle conductors. The robot features a dual-arm asymmetric suspension, variable-length manipulators, and center-of-mass adjustment. The main challenge addressed is the collision-free motion planning required for traversing transmission lines and avoiding obstacles. A global motion planning approach, based on a known model environment, is employed to establish a collision detection model. ADAMS simulations are used to determine collision-free path nodes, and inverse kinematics solutions are computed using MATLAB for joint variable values. Smooth trajectory curves are generated using cubic polynomial interpolation and serve as drive functions for the joints in ADAMS. The simulation results are validated with physical prototype experiments, confirming the effectiveness of the motion planning strategy.

Keywords:

line inspection robot, simulation, motion planning

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