Classification of Robots

Robots classification according to the drive technology

Classification of Industrial Robots
There are a number of ways in which industrial robots may be classified. Such classifications are
broad statements describing the important features possessed by the robots. A classification
should not be confused with a specification. A classification is a means of placing a particular
robot into a broad category or group where it can be compared with like robots in the same group
for suitability for a particular application. A specification is a factual description of the robots
size, capacity, capability, geometry etc. It is possible for a robot to fall within many systems of
classification depending on the purpose for which it is being considered. Some common means
of robot classification are as follows:

Configuration
Industrial robots may be grouped according to there structure or design, this is known as their
configuration. For example some robots have arms that rotate whilst others can only move in
straight lines. The terms degrees of freedom and degrees of movement become important when
considering robot configurations, since they can significantly influence the space envelope
within which the robot can operate.
Control System
Important considerations when selecting a robot concern its positioning accuracy, its
repeatability and its ability to traverse smooth and often complex contours. Such considerations
are a function of the type of control system employed. Terms such as servo and non-servo
controlled, open or closed loop control and point to point or continuous path control describe
common classifications of control systems. These will be covered in depth later.
Power Transmission
Industrial robots may be powered by hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical and mechanical devices eg
a high power lifting function will dictate a hydraulically powered robot to be specified.
Application
Industrial robots may be classified according to the particular task for which they are employed
eg suppliers may concentrate on welding robots or assembly robots or material handling robots
etc. This method of classification alerts the user to the suitability of a particular robot to the
required application.
 Robot Classification based on the work
space envelope

What is a work space or work volume or the work area ?

It’s the area in which the robot can do useful work or

The area in which robotics manipulation is done or

The area in which it can do pick and place of operations or

The area within the work space envelope or the work envelope

The combination of vertical swing and horizontal swing

The combination of the plan and elevation

Robot view from the side is called as elevation and the view from the top is called as the plan.

The work space or the work envelope is define as

Different Robot configurations generate characteristic working envelope shapes. This

working envelope is important when selecting a Robot for a particular application since it dictates:

Care should be exercised when interpreting the working envelope of a Robot, for a number of reasons.

The work space or the work envelope is define as

1. The working envelope refers to the working volume which can be reached by some point at the end
of the Robot arm, this point is usually the centre of the endeffector mounting plate. It excludes any tools
or workpiece which the end effector may hold.

2. There are often areas within the working envelope which cannot be reached by the end of the Robot
arm. Such areas are termed dead zones.

3. The maximum quoted payload capacity can only be achieved at certain arm spans this may not
necessarily be at maximum reach.

Robots are classified into four major types as follows:-

A:-Cartesian /rectangular coordinate /xyz/gantry robots

B:- Cylindrical coordinate robots

C:-Sperhical coordinate robots /Polar coordinate

a) SCARA robots
b) Stanford robots

D:- Articulated Robots/ Jointed arm/ revolute robots

A:-Cartesian Coordinate Robots (x,y,z)

The working envelope of the Cartesian configuration is a rectangular prism. There are no dead zones
within the working envelope and the Robot can manipulate its maximum payload throughout the
working volume.

B:Cylindrical Robots

The working envelope of this configuration is as its name suggests a cylinder. The cylinder is
hollow , since there is a limit to how far the arm can retrace , this creates a cylindricral dead zone
around the robot structure.

Polar configuration:
The working envelope of this configuration sweeps out a volume between two partial spheres.
There are physical limits imposed by the design on the amount of angular movement in both the
vertical and horizontal planes. These restrictions create conical dead zones both above and below
the Robot structure.
Revolute Configuration
This configuration has a large working envelope relative to the floor space it occupies. The shape
of the working envelope depends on the individual design. The two most common designs are
shown below. The design in b) allows almost a true sphere to be reached, whilst the design in a)
has a complex cusp shaped envelope.

SCARA Configuration (Selective Component Assembly Robot Arm)

The SCARA configuration has a working envelope that can be loosely described as a heart or
kidney shaped prism, having a circular hole passing through the middle. This allow a large area
coverage in the horizontal plane but relatively little in the vertical plane.

Spine Configuration
The envelope of the spine Robot will approximate that of a true hemisphere the size being
dependent on the number of articulations in the spine.
 Configuration
T

Robot Drive Systems

The term used for a mechanism that drives a Robot arm is actuator. These actuators may be
electric motors of some type or hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. Hydraulic and pneumatic
actuators are generally suited to driving prismatic joints since they produce linear motion
directly. They are often referred to as linear actuators. Electric motors which produce rotation are
more suited to driving revolute joints. However various gear mechanisms may be used to convert
linear to rotary motion and vice versa.

Hydraulic Actuators - Pneumatic Actuators

Hydraulic Actuators
A common example of a hydraulic device is the braking system of a modern car, here only
moderate force applied to the brake pedal produces a large enough force at the brake pads to stop
the car. The underlying principle of all hydraulic systems is Pascal's Law, which states:-
If external pressure is applied to a confined fluid, the pressure is transferred without loss to all
surfaces in contact with the fluid.
Figure 1 shows how Pascal's law is put to use in a simple hydraulic drive mechanism.
Applying Pascal's law :-
A liquid is confined in a cylinder between the two pistons A and B. If a force of 3kg is applied to
B which has a surface area of 1 sq. cm. There will be a pressure in the liquid of 3 kg per sq. cm
or 300 KPa. According to Pascal's law there is also a pressure on the surface of piston A. Piston
A has a surface area of 20 sq. cm the force on piston A would therefore be 60 kg. It appears we
have multiplied the input force 20 times. Now because the liquid is incompressible, then if piston
B is moved through 20 cm then piston A will only move through 1 cm, therefore this can be
summed up with the equation :-

Force x Distance moved at input = Force x Distance moved at output

Returning to the example of the car breaking system, it can now be easily explained. When the
break pedal is pressed it travels a few centimetres, but the pistons which operate the brakes in the
wheels move only one or two millimetres i.e. a small force applied to the brake pedal is used to
produce a much larger force at the brakes.

The Double Acting Cylinder

Here, movement of the piston in both directions can be controlled by pumping liquid into the
cylinder. Selecting port B as the inlet ( A closed and D open ) will move the piston outwards.
Selecting C as the inlet ( D closed and A open ) will move the piston inwards.
The hydraulic transfer valve
A practical arrangement of the double acting cylinder, allowing very precise control, is
shown below. The complete system consists of a high pressure pump, a reservoir, an electrically
operated spool valve and the hydraulic piston and cylinder.

With the spool valve in the position shown in the diagram, the piston would be unable to move,
since no fluid can enter or leave the cylinder. If the valve is moved to the left as shown in
diagram a) both ports A and B become fully open. High pressure fluid from the pump would then
enter the cylinder through A, forcing the piston outwards. Fluid behind the piston would be
expelled through B and returned to the reservoir. Similarly if the valve were moved to the right
as in b), fluid would enter through B and leave through A and the piston would move inwards.
By moving the valve so that ports A and B are only partly open, it is possible to produce very
fine movements in the position of the piston. The valve movements are usually controlled by a
low current solenoid operated via a computer.

Pneumatic Actuators
When considering pneumatic drives it is necessary to take into account the fact that some of the
mechanical work put in is used to compress the air. The system for pumping air into a pneumatic
cylinder is much simpler than the hydraulic system. This is mainly because there is no point
recirculating the air . Used air expelled from the cylinder is released to the atmosphere via a
valve.

A pneumatic system with transfer valve.

Advantages of pneumatic systems

Pneumatic systems are generally less expensive than hydraulic systems.
Small leakage's can be tolerated.
The compressibility of air can be a safety feature e.g. bus and train doors are pneumatic and will
not crush you if you get trapped. This can be of use in the gripper of the robot to help protect
both the robot and the equipment etc. with which it is working.
Pneumatic drives are faster to respond than hydraulic drives.