Movie Segment

The Hummingbird, IBM Watson

Research Center, ICRA 1992
video proceedings

Manipulator Kinematics

Manipulator
Link i -1

Link Description

Joint axis i -1

Denavit-Hartenberg Notation
Frame Attachment
Forward Kinematics

Axis i

Link Description

Joint axis i
Link 1

Link
n-1

End-Effector
Base

Intersecting Joint Axes

Axis i
Axis i
Axis i

Axis i

Axis (i-1)
Link i-1

i-1

Axis i-1

ai-1

==

==

ai-1:
i-1:

Link Length - mutual perpendicular

unique except for parallel axis
Link Twist

- measured in the right-hand sense about ai-1

i-1

The sense of i-1 is free

Link Connections

First & Last Links

Axis i

Axis i+1

Axis i
Axis (i-1)

ai

Link i-1

}di

i
i

ai-1

i-1

ai

==

==

d i: Link Offset -- variable if joint i is prismatic

i: Joint Angle -- variable if joint i is revolute

First Link

Axis 2

ai and i depend on joint axes i and i+1

Axes 1 to n: determined
a1 , a2 ... a n-1 and 1, 2 ... n-1
Convention: a0 = an = 0 and 0 = n = 0

End-Efector Frame

Axis 1
Axis 0
Axis 0

a1

a0
0

0n

d1

{0}

0n+1

a0 = 0 and 0 = 0

Last Link

First & Last Links

Axis n+1
Axis n+1Axis n+1
Axis n
Axis n-1
an-1

an

}d

Axis i

ai-1

ai

an = 0 and n = 0

Axis i+1

di
i

i and di depend on links i-1 and i

2, 3, ... , n-1 and d2, d3, ... , dn-1
Convention: set the constant parameters to zero
Following joint type: d1 or 1 = 0 and dn or n = 0

First Link

Axis 2

Last Link
Axis n+1
Axis n+1Axis n+1
Axis n

Axis 1
Axis 0
Axis 0
a0
0

a1

Axis n-1

d1

}d

d1 or 1 = 0

dn or n = 0

Denavit-Hartenberg Parameters
4 D-H parameters (i ,

an

an-1

ai , di , i)

Frame Attachment

Axis i

Axis (i-1)

zi

Link i-1

3 fixed link parameters

i revolute joint
1 joint variable
di prismatic joint

ai

xi

}di

zi-1

i and ai : describe the Link i

di and i : describe the Links connection

xi-1

i-1

ai-1

==

==

y-vectors: complete right-hand frames

Summary Frame Attachment

Intersecting Joint Axes

Axis I+1
Axis I+1
Axis i
Axis i

xi

1. Normals
2. Origins

3. Z-axes
4. X-axes

Zi+1

zi

zi

Zi+1

xi

The sense of i is determined by

the direction of x

Last Link

First Link
{0}
{1}

z0 = z1

Revolute

a0 = 0
0 = 0
d1 = 0

1
1 = 0
{1}

Prismatic

{0} {1}

z0 = z1
a0 = 0
0 = 0
1 = 0

{0}

d1

d1 = 0

Summary

Axis i+1

zi

zi-1

zi+1

x3
y3

y0

y1

ai : distance (zi , zi+1) along xi

i : angle (zi , zi+1) about xi
di : distance (xi-1 , xi ) along zi
i : angle (xi-1 , xi ) about zi

xn-1

y2
x1L1

x2

L 2 2

i-1 ai-1 di i

1
2
3

0
0
0

0
L1
L2

Forward Kinematics

Axis i

Link i
Link i-1

zi

xi

zR z z
Q P

xi-1

ai

}d

zi

xP
i
xQ

a i-1

xR

z i-1

i-1
i

i-1

Q
P

P
i

i-1
1

T
i (

, ai-1 , i , di )
i-1

xi-1

xi a i

}d

a i-1

i-1

T =

i-1

1
2
3

Axis i

Axis (i-1)

Link i-1

i-1

0
0
0

x0

Link i

z i-1

xn

dn

xn= xn-1

L 3 3

Axis (i-1)

zn

zn-1

Example RRR Arm

di

Forward Kinematics

n = 0

dn = 0

xi ai
xi-1

xn-1

xn= xn-1

Prismatic

n n

{0} {1}

Axis i

Axis i-1

n = 0

zn

zn-1

dn = 0

Revolute

Axis n

Axis n-1

= Rx(i-1) Dx(ai-1) Rz(i) Dz(di)

T=

ci
si ci-1
si si-1
0

-si
ci ci-1
ci si-1
0

0
-si-1
ci-1
0

ai-1
-s i-1 di
ci-1 di
1

Forward Kinematics

Axis i

Axis (i-1)

Link i
Link i-1

zi
z i-1

xi-1

xi a i

}d

Movie Segment

a i-1

i-1

Forward Kinematics:

0
N

T =

T ...

N-1
N

Brachiation Robot, Nagoya

University, ICRA 1993 video
proceedings

Example - RPRR

z5
x5

Summary Frame Attachment

Summary
Axis i-1

zi-1

Axis i+1

Axis i

zi

zi+1
xi ai

xi-1

di
i

1. Normals
2. Origins

3. Z-axes
4. X-axes

ai : distance (zi , zi+1) along xi

i : angle (zi , zi+1) about xi
di : distance (xi-1 , xi ) along zi
i : angle (xi-1 , xi ) about zi

Example - RPRR

Example - RPRR
Z3
O3 O4
L2 xX4
2

Z1

z5

O0 ,O1
X1 Out

x5

L5

X3

O2

Z4
L4

z5

x5

d2

ai : distance (zi , zi+1) along xi

i : angle (zi , zi+1) about xi
di : distance (xi-1 , xi ) along zi
i : angle (xi-1 , xi ) about zi

Stanford Scheinman Arm

O5

Z2

i-1

ai-1

di

1
2
3
4
5

0
-90
-90
90
0

0
0
L2
0
L4

0
d2
0
L5
0

1
-90
3
4
0

Stanford Scheinman Arm

Z2

d2

d3

Z0 Z1
X1 X

X
X5 6

X2

Z5
Z3 Z4
Z6 X3 X

Stanford Scheinman Arm

Z2

d2

d3

Z0 Z1
d2

d3
Z0

Y0

X1 X

X
X5 6

X2

Z3 Z4
Z6 X3 X

X6

Z5

Y6

X0

Z6

ai : distance (zi , zi+1) along xi

i : angle (zi , zi+1) about xi
di : distance (xi-1 , xi ) along zi
i : angle (xi-1 , xi ) about zi

1
2
3
4
5
6

i-1 ai-1
0
-90
90
0
-90
90

0
0
0
0
0
0

di

0
d2
d3
0
0
0

1
2
0
4
5
6

Forward Kinematics
Z2

d2
Z0 Z1

Link i

X
X5 6

X2

X1 X

Axis i

Axis (i-1)

d3
Z5

Link i-1

Z3 Z4
Z6 X3 X

xi a i

zi

}d

i-1

ai-1

di

1
2
3
4
5
6

0
-90
90
0
-90
90

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
d2
d3
0
0
0

Stanford Scheinman Arm

i

i-1

ai-1

di

1
2
3
4
5
6

0
-90
90
0
-90
90

0
0
0
0
0
0

0
d2
d3
0
0
0

1
2
0
4
5
6

0
1

1
2

ci
si ci-1
si si-1
0

-si
ci ci-1
ci si-1
0

0
i-1
-si-1 -s i-1 di
ci-1
ci-1 di
0
1

Forward Kinematics

2
3

LM1
0
T=M
MM0
N0

1T =

0
1
0
0

0 1
1
0

0
0

OP
PP
PQ
O
d P
P
0P
1 PQ
0
0
0
1
0

3
4

LMc
s
T=M
MM 0
N0

s4

c4

z i-1

xi-1

xi a i

}d

4
5

O
d P
P
0 P
1 PQ

NT =

T
1

T ...
2

T
N

LMc
0
T=M
MMs
N0

s1

0 0

c1

0 0

0
0

1
0

LMc c
sc
T=M
MM s
N0
0
3

OP
P
0P
1 PQ

1 2

c1 s2

s1

s1 d 2

1 2

s1 s 2

c1

c1 d 2

c2
0

0
0

0
1

s1
c1
0
0

c1 s 2
s1 s2
c2
0

N-1

0
0

5
6

LMc c
sc
T=M
MM s
N0

1 2

c5
0

i-1

Forward Kinematics:

0 0
1 0

0
2

a i-1

OP
P
0P
1 PQ

s5
0

LMc
s
T=M
MM 0
N0

ai-1
-s i-1 di
ci-1 di
1

0 0

Link i-1

zi

OP
P
1 0P
0 1 PQ
LM c
0
T=M
MMs
N0

0
-si-1
ci-1
0

0 0

0
1

Link i

-si
ci ci-1
ci si-1
0

Axis i

Axis (i-1)

ci
si ci-1
si si-1
0

i-1

0
0
1
0

a i-1

i-1

1
2
0
4
5
6

LMc s
s
c
T=M
MM 0 0
N0 0
LM c s
0
0
T=M
MMs c
a
N0 0

xi-1

z i-1

1 2
2

OP
PP
PQ

OP
P
0P
1 PQ

s6
0

0 0
1 0

c6
0

0
0

c1 d 3 s 2 s1 d 2
s1 d 3 s2 + c1 d 2
d3 c2
1

OP
PP
PQ

c1c2c4 s1s4 c1c2 s4 s1c4 c1s2 c1d3s2 s1d2

s c c + c s s c s + c c s s s d s + c d
1 2 4
1 4
1 2
1 3 2
1 2
0
12 4 14
4T =
s2c4

s2 s4
c2
d3c2

0
0
0
1

LM
T=M
MM X
N0
LM X X
X X
T=M
MM X X
N0 0
0
5

0
6

X
X

X
X

c1 c2 s 4 s1 c 4
s1 c2 s 4 + c1 c 4

c1 d 3 s 2 s1 d 2
s1 d 3 s 2 + c1 d 2

s2 s 4

d3 c2

OP
PP
PQ

c1c 2 c 4 s 5 s1 s 4 s 5 + c1 s 2 s 5
s1c 2 c 4 s 5 + c1 s 4 s 5 + s1 s 2 c 5

c1 d 3 s 2 s1 d 2
s1 d 3 s 2 + c1 d 2

s 2 c 4 s5 + c5 c2

d3 c2

LMX X cc c s ss s +cs s
X X sc c s +cs s +ss c
T =M
MMX X s c s +cc
0
N0 0

0
6

1 2 4 5

14 5

12 5

1 2 4 5

14 5

12 5

2 4 5

5 2

cds
1 3 2 sd
1 2
sds
1 3 2 +cd
1 2
dc
3 2
1

OP
PP
PQ

d2

Z0

d3
Y0

X6

Y6

X0
Z6

C 1 S 2 d 3 S1 d 2
S1 S 2 d 3 + C 1 d 2

OP
PP
PQ

xP

r1
x = r2 =

r3

C2 d3
C 1 [ C 2 ( C 4 C 5 C 6 S 4 S 6 ) S 2 S 5 C 6 ] S1 ( S 4 C 5 C 6 + C 4 S 6 )
S1 [ C 2 ( C 4 C 5 C 6 S 4 S 6 ) S 2 S 5 C 6 ] + C 1 ( S 4 C 5 C 6 + C 4 S 6 )
S2 (C 4 C 5 C 6 S4 S6 ) C 2 S5 C 6
C 1 [ C 2 ( C 4 C 5 S 6 + S 4 C 6 ) + S 2 S 5 S 6 ] S1 ( S 4 C 5 S 6 + C 4 C 6 )
S1 [ C 2 ( C 4 C 5 S 6 + S 4 C 6 ) + S 2 S 5 S 6 ] + C 1 ( S 4 C 5 S 6 + C 4 C 6 )
S2 (C 4 C 5 S6 + S 4 C 6 ) + C 2 S5 S6

C1 ( C 2 C 4 S 5 + S 2 C 5 ) S1 S 4 S 5
S1 ( C 2 C 4 S 5 + S 2 C 5 ) + C 1 S 4 S 5
S2 C 4 S5 + C 2 C 5