ME G511 Lect 4 Anatomy Sept 2018

DE ZG/ES ZG561
Mechanisms & Robotics

BITS Pilani Dr. Y V. D. Rao
Hyderabad Campus
BITS Pilani
Hyderabad Campus
DE ZG/ES ZG561
Anatomy of Robots
Anatomy of Robots
 General mechanical structure of a robot is like the

skeleton of human body.
 Thus robot anatomy is study of physical construction of

structure the robotic.
 Mechanical structure of a robot consists of links, which

are rigid links connected by joints.
 This segment of links connected by joints ensures

mobility and reachability and is termed as arm of the
robot.
Lecture 5 DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
 Another segment that confers proper orientation to end
element called end-effector is termed as the wrist.
 End effector performs the desired task of the robot.
 Most of the manipulators are mounted on a base

fastened to the floor or on a mobile platform called
Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV).
 A typical arrange of these four basic elements are shown

in figure below.
Endeffector
Base
Work
piece
Mechanical Structure of a Manipulator
 Mechanical structure of a robot is a mechanism, with
rigid links as links.
 All the links in a robot are binary links.
 A link that is connected to only two other links is a

binary link.
 Two links in a robot are connected together by a joint.
 Many types of joints are possible to join two links.
 However, only two basic types are commonly used in

industrial robots.
 They are Revolute (R) and Prismatic (P) joints.
 At a joint between two links relative motion is possible.
 The relative motion at a revolute joint is of rotation.
 Revolute joints are also known as pin joints or rotary

joints.
 In the second type of joint, prismatic joint, relative

motion is of sliding or linear motion.
 Screw and nut & rack and pinion are used to form a
prismatic joint.
 Other variants of revolute joints are rotary and twist
joints as shown.
 Both of these joints are of one degree of freedom joints.
 Kinematic chain of a robotic manipulator is

characterized by degree of freedom and space swept by
the end effector.
symbol for prismatic and revolute joints are
shown in figure below.
prismatic joint
revolute joint
rotary joint
twist joint
Degree Of Freedom
 Number of independent motions a body can perform in

3-D space is called Degree of Freedom (DOF).
 A rigid body in space has six DOF, three for position and
three for orientation.
 In 2-D two translations and one rotation identify the DOF.
 Consider an open kinematic chain with two links with
two revolute joints as shown.
J2
L2
L1
J1
 Link-1 is connected to the ground link-0 by a revolute

joint.
 Hence link-1 can rotate about joint-1 w.r.t. ground link
and contributes one degree of freedom.
 Similarly link-2 can rotate about joint-2 w.r.t. link-1.
 Or link-2 has one degree of freedom w.r.t. link-1.
 Therefore this open loop chain has as many degrees of

freedom (DOF) as the number of joints in the chain, as
each joint is of one DOF.
 Variable defining the motion of a link at a joint is called a

joint-link variable.
 Thus in an n-DOF robotic manipulator n joints are used
and n independent joint-link variables are required to
completely specify the position and orientation of the each
link.
 Hence for example B
L2
in case of two DOF
L1 C
manipulator shown in
figure two joint-link
variables are A
required to define the
position and
orientation of the end
point C.
 To position and orient a body freely in 3-D space, a
manipulator with 6-DOF is required.
 Such a manipulator is called a spatial manipulator.
 It has three joints for positioning and three joints for

orienting the end-effector.
 A manipulator with DOF less than six has constrained

motion in 3-D space.
 In some of the cases the desired job is done using five

or even four DOF (Joints).
 Many Industrial robots have DOF five and less than five.
 A planar robot can only sweep in 2-D plane and can

have any DOF.
 A planar robot with three joints can sweep a plane if two

joints are used for positioning and one joint is used for
orientation.
 Spatial robots with DOF more than six are known as

redundant robots as these have surplus joints.
 This extra DOF is useful in increasing its dexterity.
 A robot with dexterity can around the obstacles and

reach the objects at subspace.
 However, redundant robots are difficult model,

coordinate frame transformation, program and control.
 Total DOF of the robot is divided into two parts.
 First part is at the arm and second part is at the wrist.
 Arm DOF is used to position the end effector in space
and remaining DOF of the wrist are useful in orienting the
end effector.
 In a typical six DOF robot, first three DOF are arm DOF
and remaining three DOF wrist DOF.
 Type and arrangement of joints in the arm and wrist can

vary considerably.
Arm Configurations
 Mechanics of an arm with 3-DOF depends on the type

the three joints used and their arrangement.
 Arm which positions the wrist in 3-D space must have

the following characteristics.
 Links must be long enough to provide the maximum

reach in space.
 Robot links must be robust enough to bear not only the

load due to work piece but also must carry the wrist and
the end effector.
 As per the type of joints and arrangement of links, four
distinctive basic structures are possible for the arm.
 First one among these is Cartesian or rectangular

configuration with all the three joints prismatic.
 Second one is Cylindrical configuration with one

revolute and two prismatic joints.
 Third one is a spherical or polar configuration with two

revolute and one prismatic joints.
 Last one is also known as articulated or jointed-arm

configuration with all the three joints revolute.
ARM CONFIGURATIONS
 Cartesian configuration is the simplest with three

prismatic joints.
 It is constructed with three perpendicular slides, with

only linear motion along the three principal axes.
 However there is an upper and a lower limit for each link

movement.
 The end point of the arm operates in a cuboidal space
called workspace.
 This is a PPP configuration.

 Portion of space around the base of the manipulator that
can be accessed by the arm end point is called
workspace.
 Shape and size of the workspace depends on the arm

configuration, structure, DOF, size of links and design of
joints.
 Physical space swept by the end effector of the robot

may be more or less than the arm end point workspace.
 Volume of the space swept is called work volume.
 Surface of the workspace is called work envelope.

 Two types of constructions are in use in case of
Cartesian arm.
 They are cantilever type and the other box or gantry type
configuration.
 Cartesian arm is easy to program and gives high
precision.
 However, this configuration has limited manipulatability.
 Cartesian configuration gives large work volume but has

a low dexterity.
 Gantry robot is used to handle heavy loads and can
move objects precisely.
Cincinnati Milacron built large industrial robots primarily
for welding industry.
It was one of the first companies to change from hydraulic
to electric robots.
Milacron robot
IBM corp. also developed another industrial robot known
as Gantry Robot used for transfer of cargo or bulky
material.
 Cylindrical configuration uses two perpendicular
prismatic joints and one revolute joint.
 one of the three prismatic

joints in Cartesian
configuration is replaced
with one revolute joint.
 In one of the possible

constructions first joint is
revolute and the other two
are prismatic.
 one of the three prismatic joints in Cartesian
configuration is replaced with one revolute joint.
 In one of the possible constructions first joint is

revolute and the other two are prismatic.
 Rotary joint is formed with a block revolving around a
vertical stationary cylindrical column.
 Revolving block can also slide along the vertical

stationary cylindrical column up and down.
 Also this revolving and sliding block carries a horizontal

link that slides freely in side the block in and out.
 This is a RPP configuration.
 The end point sweeps a cylindrical space.
 Workspace is a hollow cylindrical space.

 Due to mechanical constraints like actuators and
transmission elements, full 3600 rotation is not possible.
 Cylindrical configuration offers good mechanical

stiffness.
 However, wrist positioning accuracy decreases as the
distance of the end-effector from vertical column
increases.
 It can access narrow horizontal cavities with ease and

useful for machine-loading operations.
 Other than RPP configuration many other
configurations are possible like PRP, PPR etc.
 However, all configurations may not give the required

workspace and some may sweep only a plane.
 Such configurations which sweep a plane are called as

non-robotic configurations.
First industrial produced by Unimate was installed in
General Motors, USA in 1961.
 Polar or Spherical configuration
consists of two revolute and one
prismatic joints.
 Telescopic link is raised
 Prismatic joint is built and lowered about a
using a telescopic link. horizontal axis using a
revolute joint.
 These two links are in

turn rotated about a
vertical axis.
 Hence this arrangement

is known as RRP
configuration.
 Arrangement of these joints gives the robot the flexibility
of moving the end arm point with in a spherical shell
space.
 Hence workspace of polar configuration robot is a

spherical shell.
 Shoulder joints in this robot allow the end-effector to go

below the base.
 Because of this flexibility objects below its base can be

manipulated easily.
 However its mechanical stiffness is lower than Cartesian
and Cylindrical configurations.
 Also their positioning accuracy decreases with increase

in radial distance of end effector from base.
 Also their construction is more complex than they

appear.
 These configurations are employed in in applications

like machining, spray painting etc.
 Other configurations possible with two revolute and

one prismatic joints are RPR, PRR etc.
 But PRR will not give spherical configuration.
 Articulated or
jointed-arm
configuration
consists of two
straight links
corresponding to
forearm and upper
arm with two
rotary joints like
elbow and
shoulder in human
beings.
Unimation Inc founded by
George C. Devol along with
Engel Berger J in 1956
manufactured Programmable
Universal Machine for
Assembly (PUMA robot).
The Tomorrow Tool (T3 robot) manufactured by Cincinnati
Milacron Inc.
T3 robot is an articulated six axis robot.
CINCINNATI MILACRON T3-776

Man-mate
 These two links are mounted on a base that rotates
about the vertical axis.
 Thus articulated arm configuration robot best simulates

a human arm.
 Hence this type of robotic configuration are also referred

to as anthropomorphic manipulators.
 This configuration has all the three joints revolute hence

it is a RRR or revolute manipulator.
 Work volume of this robot is a sphere.
 And with proper selection of link lengths and right
design of joints, the arm end point can sweep a full
spherical space.
 Arm end point can reach the base point and even below
the base.
 This configuration is most dexterous.
 However positioning accuracy varies with the location of

arm endpoint in work space.
 This robotic configuration has wide variety of industrial
applications.
 Other arm configurations may be obtained assembling

the links and joints differently, resulting in properties
different from those defined above.
 By combining the characteristics of articulated and
cylindrical configurations another robot with revolute
motions those are confined to the horizontal plane is
obtained.
 Such a configuration is called SCARA: Selective

Compliance Assembly (or Articulated) Robot Arm.
 SCARA configuration has a only vertical major axis
rotations.
 Due to these
vertical axis rotations
gravitational, coriolis
and centrifugal forces
effects are less on the
structure as
compared to when
the axes are kept
horizontal.
 Especially at high speeds and also when ever high
precision is required this aspect is very important.
 This arrangement provides high stiffness to the arm in

the vertical direction and high compliance in horizontal
plane.
 This versatility makes a SCARA robot congenial for

many assembly tasks.
 Hence the name and the work space is a hollow
cylinder as shown in figure.
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ME G511 Lect 4 Anatomy Sept 2018

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DE ZG/ES ZG561

Mechanisms & Robotics

 General mechanical structure of a robot is like the

 Thus robot anatomy is study of physical construction of

 Mechanical structure of a robot consists of links, which

 This segment of links connected by joints ensures

 End effector performs the desired task of the robot.

 Most of the manipulators are mounted on a base

 A typical arrange of these four basic elements are shown

Mechanical Structure of a Manipulator

 All the links in a robot are binary links.

 A link that is connected to only two other links is a

 Two links in a robot are connected together by a joint.

 Many types of joints are possible to join two links.

 However, only two basic types are commonly used in

 At a joint between two links relative motion is possible.

 The relative motion at a revolute joint is of rotation.

 Revolute joints are also known as pin joints or rotary

 In the second type of joint, prismatic joint, relative

 Both of these joints are of one degree of freedom joints.

 Kinematic chain of a robotic manipulator is

 Number of independent motions a body can perform in

 In 2-D two translations and one rotation identify the DOF.

 Link-1 is connected to the ground link-0 by a revolute

 Similarly link-2 can rotate about joint-2 w.r.t. link-1.

 Or link-2 has one degree of freedom w.r.t. link-1.

 Therefore this open loop chain has as many degrees of

 Variable defining the motion of a link at a joint is called a

 Such a manipulator is called a spatial manipulator.

 It has three joints for positioning and three joints for

 A manipulator with DOF less than six has constrained

 In some of the cases the desired job is done using five

 A planar robot can only sweep in 2-D plane and can

 A planar robot with three joints can sweep a plane if two

 Spatial robots with DOF more than six are known as

 A robot with dexterity can around the obstacles and

 However, redundant robots are difficult model,

 Total DOF of the robot is divided into two parts.

 First part is at the arm and second part is at the wrist.

 Type and arrangement of joints in the arm and wrist can

 Mechanics of an arm with 3-DOF depends on the type

 Arm which positions the wrist in 3-D space must have

 Links must be long enough to provide the maximum

 Robot links must be robust enough to bear not only the

 First one among these is Cartesian or rectangular

 Second one is Cylindrical configuration with one

 Third one is a spherical or polar configuration with two

 Last one is also known as articulated or jointed-arm

 Cartesian configuration is the simplest with three

 It is constructed with three perpendicular slides, with

 However there is an upper and a lower limit for each link

 This is a PPP configuration.

 Shape and size of the workspace depends on the arm

 Physical space swept by the end effector of the robot

 Volume of the space swept is called work volume.

 Surface of the workspace is called work envelope.

 However, this configuration has limited manipulatability.

 Cartesian configuration gives large work volume but has

 one of the three prismatic

 In one of the possible

 In one of the possible constructions first joint is

 Revolving block can also slide along the vertical

 Also this revolving and sliding block carries a horizontal

 This is a RPP configuration.