EPC431 Robotics and Automation

EPC 431 Robotics and Automation

Robot Arm Kinematics

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khairudin Mohamed

mekhairudin@usm.my

“When you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone.”

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Outlines
• Kinematics
• Forward and Inverse Kinematics
• Inverse Kinematics Calculation for
1. Cartesian robot
2. Cylindrical robot
3. SCARA robot
4. Polar robot
5. Articulated robot

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Outcomes
• At the end of this session you should be able to

• Define the kinematics of robot arm.

• Differentiate the use of forward and inverse
kinematics.
• Calculate the inverse kinematics for
• Cartesian robot
• Cylindrical robot
• SCARA robot
• Polar robot
• Articulated robot

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

The Robot System

Kinematics Hardware
Mechanical Design
Actuators
Dynamics

Control System
Task Planning

Sensors
Software
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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Robot Kinematics.

• In order to control and programme a robot we

must have knowledge of both it’s spatial
arrangement and a means of reference to the
environment.
• KINEMATICS - the analytical study of the
geometry of motion of a robot arm:
• with respect to a fixed reference co-ordinate system
• without regard to the forces or moments that cause the motion.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Co-ordinate Frames
z
y Right-handed
Co-ordinate frame
Camera Frame x
x
Tool Frame

x
Link Frame
Goal Frame
x

x
Base
x Frame
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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Kinematic Relationship

• Between two frames we have a kinematic

relationship - basically a translation and a
rotation.
z x
y
y z
x
• This relationship is mathematically represented
by a 4  4 Homogeneous Transformation
Matrix.
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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Homogeneous Transformations

r1 r2 r3 x
33 Rotational
Matrix r4 r5 r6 y 3  1 Translation

r7 r8 r9 z
0 0 0 1 Global Scale

1  3 Perspective

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Kinematic Considerations
• Using kinematics to describe the spatial configuration of a robot gives
us two approaches:
• Forward Kinematics. (direct)

• Given the joint angles for the robot, what is the

orientation and position of the end effector?
• Inverse Kinematics.

• Given a desired end effector position what are

the joint angles to achieve this?

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Inverse Kinematics

• For a robot system the inverse kinematic problem is one of the most
difficult to solve.
• The robot controller must solve a set of non-linear simultaneous
equations.
• The problems can be summarised as:

• The existence of multiple solutions.

• The possible non-existence of a solution.
• Singularities.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Multiple Solutions

Goal

• This two link planar manipulator

has two possible solutions.
• This problem gets worse with more
‘Degrees of Freedom’.
• Redundancy of movement.
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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Non Existence of Solution

Goal

• A goal outside the workspace of the

robot has no solution.

• An unreachable point can also be

within the workspace of the
manipulator - physical constraints.
• A singularity is a place of 
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acceleration - trajectory tracking.
 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Kinematics  Control

• Kinematics is the first step towards robotic control.

Cartesian Space Joint Space Actuator Space

z
y
x
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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Kinematics
• Robot arm kinematics deals with the analytic study of
motion of a robot arm with respect to a fixed reference
coordinate system as a function of time.
• The mechanical manipulator can be modeled as
an open loop articulated chain with
several rigid links connected
in series by either revolute or prismatic
joints driven by the actuators.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

Forward and Inverse Kinematics Problem

• Forward Kinematics – the position and orientation of the manipulator
end effectors are derived from the given joint variables (angles) and link
parameters.
• Inverse Kinematics – the joint variables (angles) are derived from the
given position, orientation and link parameters.

Forward
Kinematics

Joint Link Position &

Variables Parameters Orientation

Inverse
Kinematics

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1.Cartesian Robot
• A Cartesian or rectangular robot
simply moves the manipulator to
specified points on its Cartesian-
coordinates axes.
• The home reference for this robot
could be taken to be the lower
left front corner of the work
space.
• All values are measured from
home.

Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly operations,
handling machine tools and arc welding.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

1.Cartesian Robot

• To move to a point of
(12, 10, 13),
specified point • just move out 12 steps
(12,10,13) on the X axis,
• 10 steps on the Y axis,
13 • and 13 steps on the Z
r
axis.
z
10
y Home
0 x 12

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

2.Cylindrical Robot
• A cylindrical robot
must translate the x
and y Cartesian
coordinates into
corresponding angle
and radial position
values.

Used for assembly operations, handling at machine tools, spot welding, and handling
at die casting machines. It's a robot whose axes form a cylindrical coordinate system.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

2.Cylindrical Robot
• The following figure shows how to
translate the Cartesian coordinates
of (12, 10, 13) into gamma of
39.81 degrees,
• reach of 15.62 steps,
• and z of 13 steps (39.81, 15.62,
13).

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

2.Cylindrical Robot
R x 2  y 2  12 2  10 2  15.62
 y  10 
Since x  0 and y  0 then   arcsin    arcsin    39.81
R
   15 .62 
 y
if x  0 and y  0 then   180  arcsin  
R
 y
if x  0 and y  0 then   180  arcsin  
R
 y
if x  0 and y  0 then   360  arcsin  
R
( , R, z )  (39.81,15.62,13)

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3.SCARA Robot
• The SCARA robot must translate the x and y
Cartesian coordinates into three angles of
rotations:
 the base angle of rotation (gamma),
 the preliminary shoulder angle of rotation
(beta), and
 the elbow angle of rotation (alpha).

Used for pick and place work, application of sealant, assembly operations and
handling machine tools. It's a robot which has two parallel rotary joints to
provide compliance in a plane.
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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

3.SCARA Robot
• The following figure shows
the calculations for the left-
handed SCARA robot
position of (78.45, 102.71,
13) from the Cartesian-
coordinates of (12, 10, 13).

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

3.SCARA Robot
R  x 2  y 2  12 2  10 2  15.62
 y  10 
Since x  0 and y  0 then   arcsin    arcsin    39.81
R  15.62 
2  A  R  cos   A2  R 2  B 2
 A2  R 2  B 2   10 2  15.62 2  10 2 
  arccos   arccos   38.65
 2  A R   2  10  15.62 
2  A  B  cos   A2  B 2  R 2
 A2  B 2  R 2   10 2  10 2  15.62 2 
  arccos   arccos   102.70
 2  A  B   2  10  10 
(   ,  , z )  (78.46,102.70,13)

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

4.Polar Robot

• The must translate all the

Cartesian-coordinates system's
axes to its own set of
coordinates:
 a base angle of gamma,
 elevation angle of beta,
 a reach distance.

Used for handling at machine tools, spot welding, die casting, fettling
machines, gas welding and arc welding. It's a robot whose axes form a polar
coordinate system.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

4.Polar Robot
• The following figure
shows how to convert
(12, 10, 13) to (39.81,
39.77, 20.322).

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

4.Polar Robot
R x 2  y 2  12 2  10 2  15.62
 y  10 
Since x  0 and y  0 then   arcsin    arcsin    39.81
R  15.62 
RF  z 2  R 2  132  15.62 2  20.32
 z   13 
  arcsin    arcsin    39.77
 RF   20.32 
( ,  , RF )  (39.81,39.77,20.32)

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

5.Articulated Robot
• The articulated robot must
translate all of the Cartesian-
coordinates system's axes to its
own system of coordinates:
• A base angle of gamma,
• a complete shoulder angle
(elevation + shoulder angle)
beta + alpha, and
• an elbow angle of pi.

Used for assembly operations, die casting, fettling machines, gas welding, arc
welding and spray painting. It's a robot whose arm has at least three rotary
joints.

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

5.Articulated Robot
• The following figures shows
how to convert the (12, 10,
13) to (39.81, 71.91,
115.72).

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

5.Articulated Robot

R  x 2  y 2  12 2  10 2  15.62
Since x  0 and y  0 then
 y  10 
  arcsin    arcsin    39.81
R  15.62 
RF  z 2  R 2  132  15.62 2  20.32
 z   13 
  arcsin    arcsin    39.77
 RF   20.32 
2  U  RF  cos   U 2  RF 2  F 2
 U 2  RF 2  F 2   12 2  20.32 2  12 2 
  arccos 
  arccos   32.14
 2  U  RF   2 12  20.32 
2  U  F  cos   U 2  F 2  RF 2
 U 2  F 2  RF 2   12 2  12 2  20.32 2 
  arccos   arccos   115 .72
 2  U  F   2  12  12 
( ,    ,  )  (39.81,71.91,115 .72)

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 EPC431 Robotics and Automation

From the figure shown below, by using inverse kinematics,

translate all the Cartesian-coordinates system's axes to the
robot's own set of coordinates. Given the current position
of the end effector is (150 mm, 245 mm, 100 mm). 　　

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Summary
• Student have learnt that

• The kinematics of robot arm.

• Differentiate the use of forward and inverse
kinematics.
• Calculation of the inverse kinematics for
• Cartesian robot
• Cylindrical robot
• SCARA robot
• Polar robot
• Articulated robot

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