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Intera 3.2
Waypoint Wisdom: Tips for Creating Custom Paths
Note: Click here for a Baxter University video tutorial about waypoints and paths.
• The first and last point you create for an action, which becomes the approach
and retract point, is important. When creating these points, think about their rela-
tion to the picks and places, and make sure their pose makes sense. For exam-
ple, is there a clear path between the approach point and the pick? It will be a
straight line along the gripper. Keep this in mind when planning your approach
and retract points.
• As of Baxter software 2.1, it is no longer necessary -- or even desirable -- to
define a large number of waypoints when training a path. The more transit points
you add, the longer the path and therefore, the more time the task will take. Also,
if you train a number of waypoints relatively close together along a path, Baxter's
arm movement will become jerky. Therefore, the best practice is to train just
those points needed to avoid obstacles that may be in Baxter's path.
• Think Baxter’s arm path through before you create it. Do a dry run by manually
moving the arm before creating the waypoints. Move the arm through your
planned path and don’t focus just on the wrist. Instead, take into account the
entire length of the arm as you move through the path. Do the joints – including
the shoulder and elbow – ever approach their limits? Does Baxter’s arm as a
whole ever get twisted or distorted? Does the Navigator start on one side of the
arm and end up on the other? Baxter will work better when its arm remains rela-
tively untwisted as it moves along its path.
• When you reach the end of your path, it’s a good idea to make sure the wrist is
still able to rotate easily when it performs the place. Try to make sure the wrist
rotation is in the mid-range of its limits.
Grasping Objects
The ability for Baxter to successfully grasp and pick up objects depends on several factors,
including:
• Gripper selected and associated components (such as, fingers, finger tips,
vacuum cup size)
• Proper gripper configuration
• Grasp position relative to the object’s center of gravity
• Grip detection threshold setting
• Consistency of the pickup location on the work surface
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