Inverse geometric model of serial robots 63

Table 4.1. Types of equations encountered in the Paul method

Type 1 X ri = Y
Type 2 X Si + Y Ci = Z
Type 3 X1 Si + Y1 Ci = Z1
X2 Si + Y2 Ci = Z2
Type 4 X1 rj Si = Y1
X2 rj Ci = Y2
Type 5 X1 Si = Y1 + Z1 rj
X2 Ci = Y2 + Z2 rj
Type 6 W Sj = X Ci + Y Si + Z1
W Cj = X Si Y Ci + Z2
Type 7 W1 Cj + W2 Sj = X Ci +Y Si + Z1
W1 Sj W2 Cj = X Si Y Ci + Z2
Type 8 X Ci + Y C(i + j) = Z1
X Si + Y S(i + j) = Z2
ri: prismatic joint variable,
Si, Ci: sine and cosine of a revolute joint variable i.

4.3.2. Special case: robots with a spherical wrist

Most six degree-of-freedom industrial robots have a spherical wrist composed of

three revolute joints whose axes intersect at a point (Figure 4.1). This structure is
characterized by the following set of geometric parameters:

d =r =d =0
5 5 6
4 = 5 = 6 = 0

S5 0, S6 0 (non-redundant robot)

The position of the center of the spherical joint is obtained as a function of the
joint variables q1, q2 and q3. This type of structure allows the decomposition of the
six degree-of-freedom problem into two three degree-of-freedom problems
representing a position equation and an orientation equation. The position problem,
which is a function of q1, q2 and q3, is first solved, then the orientation problem
allows us to determine 4, 5, 6.