INTRODUCTION TO

ROBOTICS-II
BY DR. NATRAJ MISHRA
 DEGREES OF FREEDOM (DOF)

The number of independent movements that an object can perform in a 3-D space is called the degrees of freedom.
THE SIX DOF OF A RIGID BODY TWO-DOF PLANAR MANIPULATOR
R3
Joint 2
BC
T3 R2
T2
R1
T1 Joint 1

The variable defining the motion of a link at a joint is called a joint-link variable.
REQUIRED ‘DOF’ IN A MANIPULATOR

i. Spatial manipulator: 6 DoF or less than 6 DoF (constrained motion) in 3-D space

ii. Planar manipulator: can sweep a 2D-space or a plane and can have any number of
DoF

iii. Redundant manipulator: Spatial manipulators with more than 6 DoF; have surplus
joints
• The extra DoF may enhance the performance by adding to the dexterity.
CONFIGURATION OF ARM

The purpose of the arm is to position the Basic configurations (Robot Coordinates):
wrist in the 3-D space.
1. Cartesian (Rectangular)- 3P
Characteristics:
2. Cylindrical- R2P
• To provide maximum reach in the space
3. Polar (Spherical)- 2RP
4. Articulated (Revolute/ Jointed arm/
• To provide mechanical robustness to Anthropomorphic)- 3R
bear self-weight and payload
5. SCARA
CARTESIAN (RECTANGULAR) CONFIGURATION

• Three prismatic joints (3P)

• Robot coordinate: Cartesian (X,Y, Z)
• Two types of construction: Y
a) Cantilevered
b) Gantry
X
• Workspace/ Work volume:
Z
Cuboidal

Work volume: The volume of swept space

Work envelope: Surface of work envelope
CARTESIAN CONFIGURATION

• Characteristics
i. Gives high precision
ii. Easy to program
iii. Not preferred for many applications due to limited manipulatability
iv. Gantry configuration is used for moving heavy loads precisely.
v. Gives large work volume but has low dexterity
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION

• One revolute and Two prismatic θ

joints (R2P) r

• Robot Coordinate:
• Cylindrical (r, θ, Z) Z

• Workspace:
• Hollow cylinder
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION

• Characteristics:
a) May not give suitable workspace: may only sweep a plane (non-robotic
configuration)
b) Offers good mechanical stiffness
c) Wrist positioning accuracy decreases as the horizontal stroke increases
d) Suitable to access narrow horizontal cavities and hence is useful for machine-
loading operations
POLAR (SPHERICAL) CONFIGURATION

• Two revolute and One prismatic θ r

φ
joints (2RP)
• Robot coordinate:
• Polar (r, θ, φ)

• Workspace:
• Partial spherical shell
POLAR (SPHERICAL) CONFIGURATION

• Characteristics:
a) Allows manipulation of objects on the floor
b) Mechanical stiffness is lower than Cartesian and Cylindrical
c) Wrist positioning accuracy decreases with the increasing radial
stroke
d) Construction is complex
e) Applications- machining, spray painting, etc.
ARTICULATED CONFIGURATION

• Three revolute joints (3R) θ3

• Robot coordinates: θ2
• θ1 θ2 θ3

• Workspace:
• Spherical

θ1
ARTICULATED CONFIGURATION

• Characteristics:
a) End-point of arm can reach the base point and below
b) Most dexterous configuration
c) Positioning accuracy varies with location of endpoint of arm
d) Wide range of industrial applications
SELECTIVE COMPLIANCE ASSEMBLY ROBOT ARM
(SCARA)
• Characteristics:
i. Revolute motions confined to
horizontal plane
ii. High speed and high precision
iii. High stiffness in vertical directions
iv. High compliance in horizontal plane
v. Suitable for assembly operations

Workspace: Any guess?