A Feature Based Path Planning System for Robotic Stenciling of Roadway Markings

Kochekali, H.; Ravani, B.; ,

A Feature Based Path Planning System for Robotic Stenciling of Roadway Markings

by H. Kochekali, Univ of California, Davis, United States,
B. Ravani, Univ of California, Davis, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Robotics for Challenging Environments

Abstract:

Roadway sign stenciling is a hazardous operation exposing the roadway maintenance and construction crew to on going traffic. The current practice involves manual painting using a mechanical stenciling type of procedure. Using a robotic system, the mechanical stenciling is replaced by a robot programming software and the painting operation is performed automatically using a spray gun that is guided by a robot manipulator. The operator plans the operation on site, by using an automatic path planning system developed in this paper. This speeds up the operation making it more efficient. It also improves the safety of the crew by removing them from the roadway and placing them inside the cab of the maintenance vehicle which reduces the risk of injuries from conflicts with on-coming traffic. This paper describes a feature based path planning system developed for a robotic roadway sign stenciling system under development at the University of California-Davis. The path planning system uses simple geometric features of all roadway markings as small program modules. These modules are designed to control the geometry of a patch of a marking as well as the process parameters such the paint flow rate, the proximity distance and the orientation of the nozzle with respect to the roadway pavement.

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