Method and apparatus for controlling robots and the like using a bubble data hierarchy placed along a medial axis.

摘要

A robotic controller or similar machine represents the shape of an object as a hierarchy of bubbles. The position and radius of each of the bubbles is determined by first calculating the coordinates of the medial axis of the object and then creating a hierarchy of sbubbles all of which are disposed on the medial axis. The bubbles may be generated using a top-down algorithm which sequentially places bubbles around portions of the object represented by sub-divisions of branches of the medial axis. Alternatively the bubbles may be placed by using a bottom-up algorithm which combines the smallest of a large number of bubbles centered on the medial axis with its smallest neighbour to generate successively higher level bubbles in the hierarchy.