Chapter 3 : Direct geometric model ( DGM) of manipulator

robots with simple open Chain

3.1 Introduction
The design and control of robots require the calculation of certain mathematical models
such as: direct and inverse geometric models, direct and inverse kinematic models,
dynamic models. In this chapter, we will see how we will determine the direct geometric
model of simple open chain manipulator robots, using the Khalil and Kleifinger
notation.
3.2 Description of the geometry of simple open structure robots
A simple open structure is composed of n+1 bodies denoted c0,..., cn and n joints. The
body c0 designated the base of the robot and the body cn which carries the wrist (end-
effector).
Joint j connects body cj to body cj-1.
The description method is based on the following rules:
- bodies are assumed to be rigid
- the frame Rj is linked to the body cj
- the variable of joint j is denoted qj

Figure 3.1: simple open structure robot

The frame Rj, fixed to the body cj is defined so that:
- the axis zj is carried by the axis of the joint j
- the xj axis is carried by the perpendicular common to the zj-1 and zj axes. If the
zj-1 and zj axes are parallel or collinear, the choice of xj is not unique: a
considerations of symmetry or simplicity then allow a rational choice.
Remarks: choice of frame R0
- take R0 confused with R1 when q=0. Which means that Z0 is confused with Z1
and O0=O1 when joint 1 is rotoid (revolute).
- Z0 coincides with Z1 and X0 is parallel to X1, when joint 1 is prismatic.
The transition from the Rj-1 frame to the Rj frame is expressed according to the
following four geometric parameters:

αj : angle between zj-1 and zj axes, corresponding to rotation around xj-1

dj : distance between zj-1 and zj along xj-1
θj : angle between xj-1 and xj axes, corresponding to rotation around zj
rj : distance between xj-1 and xj along zj
The joint variable qj associated with the jth joint is either qj or rj, depending on whether
this joint is rotoid or prismatic, which translates into the relationship: q j = δ jθ j + δ j rj
 δ j = 0 if the joint j is revolute

with δ j = 1 if the joint j is prismatic

δ j = 1 − δ j

Question 1 : find the transformation matrix defining frame Rj in frame Rj-1?

Question 2 : find the transformation matrix defining frame Rj+1 in frame Rj-1 in the case
of αj+1=0?

3.3 direct geometric model (DGM)

The Direct Geometric Model (DGM) is the set of relationships that express the end-
effector situation, i.e. the robot's operational coordinates as a function of its joint
articular coordinates. In the case of a simple open chain, it can be represented by the
transition matrix:
0
Tn = 0T1 ( q1 ) 1T2 ( q2 ) ... n −1Tn ( qn )

The direct geometric model of the robot can also be represented by the relation: X=f(q)

where: q is the vector of joint variables such that : q = [ q1 q2 ...qn ]

T

The operational coordinates are defined by x = [ x1 x2 ...x n ]

T

There are several ways of defining the vector x, for example with the elements of the
T
matrix 0Tn : x =  Px Py Pz sx s y sz nx n y nz ax a y az 

Example :
We consider a two-degree-of-freedom (DOF) planar manipulator robot, shown in figure
below.
where: L1 and L2 are the lengths of the robot segments; θ1 and θ2 are the joint variables
calculate :
- The geometric parameters of this robot
- The transformation matrices between benchmarks ( T, T
0
1
1
2 and 2T3 )
- The direct geometric model 0T3
- The matrix 3T0