A MID SEM REPORT

ON

MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF TAL BRABO MANIPULATOR USING V-REP

BY

DONTHA SHASHI PREETHAM 2018AAPS0239U ECE

AT

BITS, Pilani – Dubai Campus

Dubai International Academic City (DIAC)
Dubai, U.A.E

First Semester, 2020-2021

 A MID SEM REPORT

ON

MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF TAL BRABO MANIPULATOR USING V-REP

BY

DONTHA SHASHI PREETHAM 2018AAPS0239U ECE

Prepared in Partial Fulfillment of the

Project Course: ECE F376

AT

BITS, Pilani – Dubai Campus

Dubai International Academic City (DIAC)
Dubai, UAE

First Semester, 2020-21

 BITS, Pilani – Dubai Campus
Dubai International Academic City (DIAC)
Dubai, UAE

Course Name: Design Project

Course No: ECE F376

Duration: 108 days

Date of Start: 14-09-2020

Date of Submission: 31-12-2020

Title of Report: Modelling and analysis of tal brabo robot in V-rep

Name: Dontha Shashi preetham

ID Number: 2018AAPS0239U

Discipline: ECE

Name of Project Supervisor: Dr. V. Kalaichelvi

Keywords: Inverse kinematics, manipulator, PID-controller, Forward kinematics, V-

rep, MATLAB etc

Project Area: Control Systems and Modelling and Simulation in V-rep

Abstract: The objective of this project is to model and analyze the 5-DOF robot
manipulator (Tal brabo manipulator) in the first stages of design, rigid links of the
robot arm are modelled using CAD modelling. These links are imported to V-REP
and assembled. We use inverse kinematics (IK) relations determines the possible
sets of joint variables for any specified end effector location. V-REP uses IK groups
and IK elements to solve inverse and forward kinematics tasks. And finally doing the
virtual simulation in V-rep software.

Signature of the Student Signature of Faculty

Date:31-10-2020 Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Director of BITS Pilani,
Dubai Campus, Prof. R.N. Saha, who has ushered a new light on our college.

Next, I would like to thank Dr. V. Kalaichelvi, my Project Supervisor, for her faith in
me even before I started working under her and for her motivation, support, guidance
and encouragement throughout the course of this project. She has been a great
influence, urging me to learn and to be innovative, pushing me to excel.

Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Jagadish Nayak, Instructor-in-Charge of Design

Projects, for taking his time to look into my work and for his support regarding my
project..

Dontha Shashi preetham

2018AAPS0239U
 CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: TAL BRABO DESIGN AND MODELLING IN V-REP

1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 LITERATURE SURVEY
1.3 SPECIFICATIONS -GENERAL IDEA
1.4 V-REP AND APPLICATIONS…..………………………………………………...9

Chapter 2: MODELLING OF TALL BRABO

2.1 IMPORTING TAL BRABO FILES INTO V-REP10
2.2 MODELLING THE ROBOTIC MANIPULATOR11
2.3 DESIGNING THE SIMULATION SCENE13
2.4 LINKING THE GRIPPER TO MANIPULATOR14
2.5 ADDING TARGET AND DUMMY TO THE MANIPULATOR16

Chapter 3: INVERSE KINEMATICS

3.1 CONFIGURING THE MANIPULATOR IN INVERSE KINEMATICS MODE18

Chapter 4: CONCLUSION
4.1 CONCLUSION20
4.2 FUTURE PLAN OF WORK20

References
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1 - V-REP INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................

FIGURE 2 - URDF IMPORT.....................................................................................................................
FIGURE 3 - IMPORTED URDF FILE OF TAL BRABO IN V-REP.............................................................
FIGURE 4 - TOLLBAR BUTTONS IN V-REP ...........................................................................................
FIGURE 5 - STRUCTURE OF THE V-REP SCENE HIERARCHY............................................................
FIGURE 6 - LINKING FORCE SENSOR...................................................................................................
FIGURE 7 - GRIPPER ATTACHED WITH WRIST OF MANIPULATOR...................................................
FIGURE 8 - SHIFTING DUMMY TO THE CENTER OF GRIPPER...........................................................
FIGURE 9 - LNKING THE TARGRT AND DUMMY...................................................................................
FIGURE 10 - SETTING INTO INVERSE KINEMATICS............................................................................
FIGURE 11 – SETTING EVERY JOINT IN INVERSE KINEMATICS MODE............................................
FIGURE 12 – MANIPULATOR FOLLOWING THE TARGET....................................................................
 CHAPTER 1

TAL BRABO DESIGN AND MODELLING IN V-REP

1.1 Introduction:

Tal brabo robot is one kind of serial manipulator  they are designed as a series of
links connected by motor-actuated joints that extend from a base to an end-effector.
Its widely used in many industries like in automotive and electrical and
electronics industry among others etc. Because of its features like it has inbuilt PID
controller, which is programmable, it works with open source controllers which
communicate with third party software’s like MATLAB, V-rep, and java etc.

Application of Tal Brabo manipulator are countless like MIG Welding,

Sealant Application, Vision Inspection, Chamfering, Testing and Validation, Machine
Tending, Assembly, and many more pick and place of objects is just one of them.

1.2 Literature survey:

To summarize the paper “Modeling and Simulation of 5 DOF Educational Robot

Arm” they have used a 5-DOF robotic manipulator called AL5B robot arm for the
simulation of this robotic arm they have used MATLAB and as well as Simulink. And
used and AUTOCAD for modelling of the robotic arm. From this report we can
observe how any type of manipulator can do a pick and place of object using
kinematics and inverse kinematics and how they are different from each other. And
how this kinematics is used to solve the problem of path planning. AL5B has 5-DOF
hence 5 directions of motion and one motion for gripper moment which is same as
tal brabo manipulator which is similar to human arm and can perform every task just
as human arm.

According to Denavit-Hartenberg it was found that it is easy to determine the

solutions even when different parameters each particular to separate mechanisms
Then it was later proved that by using homogeneous parameters for the
transformation it made it easier to solve the matrix equation.
The analysis of Forward kinematics can be reframed as calculating the position and
orientation of end effectors. This transformation can be made in he way explained by
slight changes in matrices. And the corresponding solution of the arm will be the
product of the all the identical matrices. [1]

The analysis of inverse kinematics determines the joint angles for desired position
and orientation in the cartesian plane. And the transformed matrix equations is used
to calculate inverse kinematics. Even though the solution of inverse kinematics is
much more complex than the direct kinematics equation since there is no particularly
proven solution for it. Based on the restrictions imposed and the structure of the
system various methods of solving is needed for robotic manipulator

In reference to the paper “Modeling and Simulation of 7-dof Robotic Manipulator”

In this paper they have modelled and simulated an 7-DOF redundant robotic
manipulator using CAD modelling and its developed in Siemens UG-NX and
simulated using v-rep simulation software, first thing they have explained about what
is a redundant manipulator. It can be explained in a way that to reach any random
position and orientation in its operational space or workspace, then that manipulator
needs to have a minimum of 6-DOF.

Later in the paper they have explained about kinematics simulations present in V-rep
which uses IK groups and IK elements to solve any type of kinematics tasks. IK
GROUP, at least one IK element is required to be preset in one IK group this group
basically defines the solving properties of the corresponding elements of the
kinematics chain, and these kinematic chains are specified by IK elements each
chain is represented by particular element corresponding to that chain. [2]

1.3 Specifications – General Idea:

“Any type of serial manipulator is made of rigid links connected by joints with one
fixed end and one free end, a robot manipulator is built to perform a given task, such
as moving an object from one position to another position. The connections to this
robotic manipulator are the mobile components that allow relative motion between
the adjacent connections (joints). This robotic manipulator also has two linear joints
that ensure non-rotational movement between the connections, and three rotary
style joints that ensure relative rotational movement between the adjacent joints

The robotic manipulator can be divided into two parts:

1. ARM AND BODY: The robot 's arm and body consist of three joints
interconnected by large links. They can be used to move and place objects or
tools within the workspace.
2. WRIST: The wrist of a serial manipulator is used to arrange or the place the
objects in proper orientation and angles” [3].

1.4 V-rep and applications:

“V-rep (CoppeliaSim) presents a single platform that incorporates several strong

internal and external libraries that are also useful for simulations of robotics.
This includes dynamic simulation engines, forward/inverse kinematics software,
libraries of collision detection, simulations of vision sensors, route planning,
tools for GUI development, and several popular robots' built-in models.” [4]

In an optimized development environment, the V-rep simulator is based on a

distributed control architecture each model can be managed independently by
an embedded script, a plugin, a ROS or Blue Zero node, a remote API client, or
a custom solution. This makes V-rep perfect for multi-robot applications and
very scalable. In C / C++, Python, Java, Lua, MATLAB, or Octave, in all of the
above languages the scripts for control can be rewritten.

V-rep has lot of in-built mobile robots, serial manipulators, drones and all the
components which are required to form an environment and do the practical
applications using these robots.
 CHAPTER 2

MODELLING OF TAL BRABO

2.1 Importing urdf files of tal brabo into V-rep:

For doing any kind of simulation in software we need a imaginary model of

the instrument or manipulator etc., and proper environment to design our
surroundings and doing the simulations. Hence, we are doing the simulation
in V-rep(coppeliasim) as its compatible with many other programming
languages like python, MATLAB, java etc. Furthermore V-rep has in built API
so that we can connect MATLAB and V-rep and able to work with both
software’s simultaneously and use the inbuilt toolbox of the MATLAB.

First step is to download the tal brabo urdf files from GitHub repository. After
downloading the zip file extract to the desired folder. And then open V-rep
which is simulation software and initial workspace looks like as shown in the
figure below

Figure 1 – V-rep introduction

 As we can see V-rep has lot of in built non-mobile, mobile robots and
necessary equipment in the model browser. Now import the urdf files of tal
brabo into V-rep with the help of plugins and then go to urdf import. And
then a command window pops up showing the details that how do you want
to import the files in V-rep as specified in the given figure below.

Figure 2 – URDF import

After clicking the import option go to the folder which contains yours .urdf
files of tal brabo and select the file for example (This PC > Data(D:) > tal
brabo project > TAL-BRABO-ros-master > src > brabo_discription > urdf)
And select brabo_urdf.

2.2 Modelling the robotic manipulator:

The objective of the project is to model and analyze the Tal brabo 5-DOF
robotic manipulator. In initial stage of the design the rigid links and joints of
the manipulator are designed using cad modeling and converted in Unified
 Robotic Description Format (urdf). After importing the urdf files into V-rep the
tal brabo manipulator is directly appeared into main scene as shown in the
figure given below

Figure 3 – Imported urdf file of tal brabo in v-rep

After importing rename each joint of the robot, V-rep uses generally Lua code
for the simulation of the environment. Lua is a powerful, fast, lightweight,
embeddable scripting language designed to support procedural programming.
The Lua script interpreter is embedded in V-rep and extended with several
hundreds of V-rep specific commands. Scripts in V-REP are the main control
mechanism for a simulation. A simulation is handled when the client application
calls a main script, which in turn can call child script. Child scripts are divided in
two categories. They can be either non-threaded or threaded child scripts.
Nonthreaded child scripts are pass-through scripts. Which means they return
control to the caller directly after each simulation pass, they execute. Non-
threaded child scripts are normally called at each simulation step. Threaded
child script are scripts in which a call to a threaded child script will launch a new
thread, which will execute in parallel and then directly return. Both the non-
threaded and threaded child scripts are segmented in three parts.

1. Initialization part: Executed the first time the child script is called.
 2. Regular part: Executed at each simulation pass. This code is in charge of
handling a specific part of a simulation.

3. Restoration part: Executed one time just before a simulation ends.

2.3 Designing the simulation scene:

After Importing the urdf files into V-rep main scene, Rename all the imported
components (joints and links), The imported individual components are first
placed correctly by using manipulation toolbar buttons present in the software
(translate and rotate) as shown in figure below

Figure 4 Tool bar buttons in V-rep

There are quite a few settings in this software that will allow us to customize
each and every bit of our model and able view our model in different angles
and views and also how the problem of path planning can be solved using
forward kinematic or inverse kinematics etc options are available.

Now add joints (revolute and prismatic) to each link and position it accordingly
and save the scene. After assembling all the parts, links and joints, the next
step is to connect the links by the corresponding joints. The model tree was
adjusted to form the kinematic chain of the manipulator. And then Add the
script to the robot. After linking all the joined links can be seen in V-rep scene
hierarchy as shown in below figure
 Figure 5 Structure of the V-rep Scene hierarchy

2.4 Linking the gripper to manipulator:

After importing the main manipulator, we need a gripper to attach at the wrist
of the manipulator to do a pick and place simulation and also force sensor
which goes in between the wrist and the gripper. Then link the force sensor to
the link 5_visual with the help of tool bar buttons object item shift and change
the position of the force sensor to the link 5 visual of the tal brabo manipulator
as shown in the figure below
 Figure 6 - linking force sensor

After the force sensor is successfully attached then go to model browser and
select components > grippers and then drag and drop the Baxter gripper in to
the simulation scene then select the force sensor and the gripper and with the
help of assemble/disassemble option fix the gripper to the wrist or link 5 of
the tal brabo manipulator as shown in the figure below and check for any
loose connection and everything Is properly oriented.

Figure 7 - Gripper attached with wrist of manipulator

2.5 Adding dummy and target to the manipulator:

Next step is to add a dummy and a target where the dummy is placed at the
center of the Baxter gripper which if fixed cannot be moved but target is also
placed near the Baxter gripper but can be moved any ware within the reach of
the manipulator so that manipulator can follow the target. First go to ADD >
Dummy and then the dummy will appear in the scene hierarchy and with the
help of the object/item shift option move the position of dummy to the center
of the gripper as shown below

Figure 8 Shifting dummy to the center of gripper

Similarly add one more dummy and rename it as TARGET and double click on
the DUMMY and a scene object properties command window pops up and
select the linked dummy type target and link type IK (inverse kinematics). When
the selection is done then we will able to see a red colored arrow connecting
them and then drag the dummy to Baxter gripper so that becomes parent to the
dummy and this can be observe in the scene hierarchy as shown below and
make sure to check the object scene properties of the target also so that there
is a proper connection between the dummy and the target and they are in the
inverse kinematics option as shown in the figure below.
 Figure 9 Linking the dummy and the target

After all these steps are successfully executed then we need to set the entire
robotic manipulator into the inverse kinematics mode so that the manipulator
can reach the target.
 CHAPTER 3

INVERSE KINEMATICS

3.1 Configuring the manipulator in inverse kinematics mode:

An Inverse kinematics problem determines the possible sets of joint

variables for any specified end effector location. This problem of inverse
kinematic solution is generally more difficult than the forward kinematic
problem. The inverse kinematic solution is more important because
manipulation tasks are naturally formulated in terms of desired tool positions
and orientation of the objects to be manipulated. Forward kinematics
problem always has a unique solution that can be obtained by simple
evaluation of forward equations; the inverse kinematics problem may or may
not have a solution. [2]

Next step is to go to calculation module properties then a command window

pops up showing calculation modules the go the kinematics option > add
new IK group >edit IK elements then new command window pops up
showing (IK Group) change default lights option to Dummy and in the
kinematic chain select the base a base of the tal brabo manipulator
(base_link_responsible) and select all the constraints including alpha beta
and gamma and select Target as relative to coordinate frame and select
calculation method as DLS shown in the figure below

Figure 10 setting into inverse kinematics

 After all the editing of the tree structure in the scene hierarchy of the
manipulator in V-rep we need to set up each and every joint of the
manipulator into inverse kinematics mode by double clicking on each and
every joint we will be able to see the command window showing scene
object properties and selecting the option of Inverse Kinematics and hybrid
mode of operation for all the five joints as shown below

Figure 11 Setting every joint in inverse kinematics mode

Now if the simulation is done then we can observe that the tal brabo manipulator is
following the target that is linked to the gripper center within the reach of the
manipulator with no errors and all the links are working properly which can be
observed from the scene hierarchy of the V-rep

Figure 12 Manipulator following the target

 CHAPTER 4

CONCLUSION

4.1 Conclusion:

we have successfully imported the tal brabo manipulator having 5-DOF into
the V-rep software and configured all the links and joints and fixed the force sensor
and a Baxter gripper to the wrist of the manipulator and added a tip to the gripper
and target which is going to be our object for the pick and place simulation, which
can be freely moved in the environment of V-rep software and successfully able to
do the modelling part completely, and now the manipulator is able to find the location
of the target and reach it.

4.2 Future plan of work:

Furthermore, we need to create the objects and the tables in the environment
and do a pick and place simulation with the help of tal brabo manipulator and need to
connect V-rep with MATLAB with the help of inbuilt support of remote API present in
the V-rep software and obtain the data through MATLAB and need to simultaneously
run these both the programs at a time to implement this in the real world work
environment
References

[1] Main paper :Qassem, Mohammed & Abuhadrous, I.M. & Elaydi, H.. (2010). Modeling
and Simulation of 5 DOF educational robot arm. 5. 569 – 574, ICACC.2010.5487136.

[2] Kavati, Veladri & Uddin, Nizam. (2016). Modeling and Simulation of 7-dof Robotic
Manipulator.(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305903744_Modeling_and_Simulatio
n_of_7-dof_Robotic_Manipulator/citation/download)

[3] W. by A. Z. R. S. 3 2013, “What is a Robotic Manipulator?,” AZoRobotics.com, 03 Sep-

2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.azorobotics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=138.
[Accessed: 07-Nov-2020].

[4] nowerthwestren university, “CoppeliaSim Introduction,” CoppeliaSim Introduction -

Northwestern Mechatronics Wiki, 12-Sep-2020. [Online]. Available:
http://hades.mech.northwestern.edu/index.php/CoppeliaSim_Introduction. [Accessed:
03-Nov-2020].

[5] Robot simulator CoppeliaSim: create, compose, simulate, any robot - Coppelia
Robotics. [Online]. Available: http://www.coppeliarobotics.com/. [Accessed: 07-Nov-
2020].

[6] “MATLAB,” MathWorks. [Online]. Available:

https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab.html. [Accessed: 03-Nov-2020].

[7] E A. Orady, and T. A. Osman. Virtual Reality Software for Robotics and
Manufacturing Cell Simulation. Computers Industrial Engineering. 3(1-2), 86-91. 1997

[8] Arya Wirabhuana1, Habibollah bin Haron "Industrial Robot Simulation Software
Development Using Virtual Reality Modelling Approach (VRML) and MATLAB- Simulink
Toolbox", University Teknologi Malaysia, 2004

[9] Muhammad Ikhwan Jambak, Habibollah Haron, Dewi Nasien, "Development of Robot
Simulation Software for Five Joints Mitsubishi RV-2AJ Robot using MATLAB/Simulink
and V-Realm Builder", Fifth International Conference on Computer Graphics, Imaging and
Visualization, 2008

[10] Samuel R. Buss, "Introduction to inverse kinematics with jacobian transpose,

pseudoinverse and damped least squares methods", IEEE Journal of Robotics and
Automation, Vol-3, page-681-685.

[11] Lorenzo Sciavicco & Bruno Siciliano, "A solution Algorithm to the inverse kinematic
Problem for redundant Manipulators", IEEE Journal of robotics and Automation Vol-4, No-4.
[12] D. Prattichizzo, J.C. Trinkle, "Grasping", in Springer Handbook of Robotics, 2008,
Springer, Heidelberg(Eds), pp. 670-702.

[13] Jingguo Wang, "International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems", Vol- 7, No. 4,
pp.1?10, ISSN: 1729?8806.