Introduction to Robotics [Hi] Ground Fig. 1.10 A too-DOF planar manipulator-two links, too joints joint at A. Therefore, link 1 can only rotate about joint 1 (J,) with respect to ground and contributes one independent variable (an angle), orin other words, it contributes one degree of freedom. Link 2 can rotate about joint 2 (J;) with respect to link 1, contributing another independent variable and so another DOF. Thus, by induction, conclude that an open kinematic chain with one end connected to the ground by a joint and the farther end of the last link free, has as many degrees of freedom as the number of joints in the chain. It is assumed that each joint has only one DOF. The DOF is also equal to the number of links in the open kinematic chain, For example, in Fig. 1.10, the open kinematic chain manipulator with two DOF has two links and two joints. ‘The variable defining the motion of a link at a joint is called a joint-link variable. Thus, for ann-DOF manipulator m independent joint-link variables are required to completely specify the location (position and orientation) of each link (and joint), specifying the location of the end-effector in space. Thus, for the two- link, in turn 2-DOF manipulator, in Fig. 1.10, two variables are required to define location of end-point, point D.