Task based synthesis of serial manipulators

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Kinematics
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Designing robotic manipulators requires aligning their geometric structure with specific tasks.
• The relationship between manipulator structure and kinematic performance is critical for task execution.
• Task requirements, including end-effector positions, orientations, and velocities, must guide manipulator design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive method for determining the optimal geometric structure (Denavit-Hartenberg parameters) of six-degree-of-freedom serial manipulators.
• To create a methodology for designing optimal manipulator configurations directly from task descriptions.
• To investigate configurations that satisfy task performance requirements under joint constraints and identify energy-efficient designs.

Main Methods:

• A methodology is presented to explore all possible manipulator configurations that meet task performance criteria.
• Configurations are selected based on their ability to reach all specified task points with required orientations.
• Candidate structures are evaluated for their capacity to achieve arbitrary end-effector velocities within user-defined joint constraints.

Main Results:

• The study outlines a systematic approach to derive optimal manipulator geometric structures from task specifications.
• The methodology successfully identifies configurations that satisfy kinematic reachability and velocity performance requirements.
• The research also considers and identifies manipulator configurations that minimize power consumption.

Conclusions:

• Optimal manipulator geometric structure design is achievable through a task-driven methodology.
• The proposed method ensures that manipulator configurations meet specific kinematic performance and operational constraints.
• This approach facilitates the design of efficient and effective robotic manipulators tailored to predetermined tasks.