What is Robotics?

• Robotics is the intersection of science, engineering and technology that produces

machines, called robots, that substitute for (or replicate) human actions.
• A robot is the product of the robotics field, where programmable machines are
built that can assist humans or mimic human actions.
• Robots were originally built to handle monotonous tasks (like building cars on an
assembly line), but have since expanded well beyond their initial uses to perform
tasks like fighting fires, cleaning homes and assisting with incredibly intricate
surgeries.
• Each robot has a differing level of autonomy, ranging from human-controlled
bots that carry out tasks that a human has full control over to fully-autonomous
bots that perform tasks without any external influences.
 Definition
• Origin of the word robot in 1923 from Czech word ‘robota’ meaning slave
labour!
• Designed to replace human beings, and depicted as very efficient and
lacking emotion – Even now this description is prevalent!
• No clear definition of a “robot”!.
• The Robot Institute of America (1969) defines robot as “.... a re-
programmable, multi-functional manipulator designed to move materials,
parts, tools or specialized devices through various programmed motions for
the performance of a variety of tasks”.
 Definition
• Currently the term “robots” are used more broadly as an “intelligent agent,
physical or virtual, capable of doing a task autonomously or with
guidance”.
• Robot – An electro-mechanical machine with sensors, electronics and
guided by computers.
• Key concept is re-programmable and the extent of programming —
Distinguishes a robot from CNC machine tools.
 Introduction
• Advances in robotics has closely followed the explosive development of
computers and electronics.
• Devol used his patent on magnetic recording devices for the “brains” of his
Unimate.
• First computer, ENIAC, was developed at University of Pennsylvania in 1946 and
the first transistor device was built by Shockley and Pearson in Bell Labs in late
1940’s.
• Another key ingredient, concept of feedback control — First textbook on feedback
control is by Prof. Norbert Wiener of MIT in 1948.
• Feedback allows execution of a programmed (desired) motion by a robot (and a
large number of devices) with the required accuracy.
 Introduction
• Initial robot usage was primarily in industrial application such as
part/material handling, welding and painting and few in handling of
hazardous material.
• Most initial robots operated in teach-playback mode, and replaced
‘repetitive tasks’.
• Growth and usage of robots slowed significantly in late 1980’s and early
1990’s due to “lack of intelligence” and “ability to adapt” to changing
environment – Robots were essentially blind, deaf and dumb!
 Introduction
• Last 25 years or so, sophisticated sensors and programming allow robots to
act much more intelligently, autonomously and react to changes in
environments faster.
• Present-day robots :
― Used in cluttered workspaces in homes and factories,
― Interact safely with humans in close proximity,
― Operate autonomously in hazardous environments,
― Used in entertainment and in improving quality of life.
 Types and Classification of Robots
• Robots are broadly classified as:
1. Industrial Robots
2. Non-industrial or Special Purpose Robots

• Industrial robots are intended to serve as general-purpose, unskilled or

semiskilled labor, e.g. for welding, painting, machining etc.
• A special –purpose robot is the one that is used in places other than
typical factory environment. For example , a serial robot mounted on a
spacecraft used for retrieval of a faulty satellite or putting it back after
repair.
 Types of Robot
• Various ways of classifying a robot:
1. Fixed or Mobile.
2. Serial or Parallel.
3. According to degree of freedom (DOF).
4. Rigid or Flexible.
5. Control — Point-to-point, autonomy and “intelligence”.

• Most older industrial robots — Fixed base and consisting of links connected by
actuated joints.
• Many modern robots can move on factory floors, uneven terrains or even walk,
swim and fly!
 Serial Vs Parallel Robots

• Serial Robot — A fixed base, links and joints connected sequentially and
ending in a end-effector.
• Parallel Robot — More than one loop, no natural end-effector.
 Degree of Freedom (DOF)
• It is defined as minimum number of independent
Parameters/variables/coordinates needed to describe a system completely.

• Example :
 A point in 2-D : 2 dof ; in 3-D : 3 dof
 A rigid body in 3- D : 6 dof
 Spatial Manipulator : 6 dof
 Planar Manipulator : 3 dof
6- Degree of Freedom
 Degree of Freedom (DOF)
• It indicates the number of rigid (bodies) that can be connected to a fixed
rigid body through the said joint.
• Degree of freedom (DOF) determines capability of a robot and number of
actuated joints.
• Joints with one degree of freedom (DOF)
– Revolute Joint (R)
– Prismatic Joint (P)
Revolute Joint (R)
Prismatic Joint (P)
2 DOF – Universal Joint
• 6 (DOF) required for arbitrary task in 3D.
• Painting and welding can be done by 5 DOF robot.
• Electronics assembly usually done by 4 DOF SCARA robot.
• For extra flexibility/working volume, 5 or 6 DOF robot mounted on 2 or 3
DOF gantry or wheeled mobile robot.
• Redundant robot with more than 6 DOF for avoiding obstacles, more
flexibility etc.
• Arrangement of first three joints (in fixed serial robots) are classified as:
Cartesian, spherical and cylindrical — Motion described by Cartesian,
spherical or cylindrical coordinates.
• Anthropomorphic — Human arm like.
• SCARA or Selective Compliance Adaptive Robot Arm — Extensively used in
electronic assembly.
• Last three joints form a wrist — Orients the end-effector.
 Rigid Vs. Flexible

PUMA 700 Series Industrial Robot Space Shuttle Robot Arm

•Most industrial robots are built heavy and rigid for required accuracy.
•Minimizing weight for space applications — Links and joints are flexible!
 Control and Mode of Operation
• Most older industrial robots were teach and playback :
― Robot is taken (manually) through the tasks and positions recorded.
― During actual operation, the robot plays back the taught sequence.
― Very time consuming to teach and robot cannot react to any changes in the
environment.
• Computer controlled — Inputs are given from a computer often after being
tried out in an off-line programming system.
• Sensor driven — Sensors are used to avoid obstacles and take decisions.
• Intelligent — Robot can ‘learn’ about the environment using artificial
intelligence (AI) and perform efficiently.
 Main components of a robot
• Robots are built to present solutions to a variety of needs and fulfill several
different purposes, and therefore, require a variety of specialized
components to complete these tasks.
• Generally speaking, robotics components fall into these five categories:
1. Sensors
2. Control System
3. Actuators
4. Power Supply
5. End Effectors
 Sensors
• Sensors are devices that make robot feel the world as we human do with the help
of our five sensors.
• Sensors provide a robot with stimuli in the form of electrical signals that are
processed by the controller and allow the robot to interact with the outside
world.
• Common sensors found within robots include video cameras that function as
eyes, photo resistors that react to light and microphones that operate like ears.
• These sensors allow the robot to capture its surroundings and process the most
logical conclusion based on the current moment and allows the controller to relay
commands to the additional components.
 
 Control System
• Control system is the brain of robot which takes inputs from sensors or
other medium and take decision on the task to be performed.
• Computation includes all of the components that make up a robot’s central
processing unit, often referred to as its control system.
• Control systems are programmed to tell a robot how to utilize its specific
components, similar in some ways to how the human brain sends signals
throughout the body, in order to complete a specific task.
• These robotic tasks could comprise anything from minimally invasive
surgery to assembly line packing.
 Control System
•  A control system is a system that is designed to produce a specified output
by the action of required controlling.
• Now the controlling provided to the system can be either output
independent or output dependent.
• This variation leads to give two different categories of control system.
― Open – Loop Control System
― Closed – Loop Control System
 Open -Loop Control System
• Systems in which the output quantity has no effect upon the input to the
control process are called open-loop control systems.
• Open-loop systems are just that, open ended non-feedback systems.
 Closed -Loop Control System
• A Closed-loop Control System, also known as a feedback control system is a
control system which uses the concept of an open loop system as its
forward path but has one or more feedback loops (hence its name) or
paths between its output and its input.
• The reference to “feedback”, simply means that some portion of the output
is returned “back” to the input to form part of the systems excitation.
 Actuators
• Actuators are required to move joints, provide power and do work.
• Serial robot actuators must be of low weight – Actuators of distal links
need to be moved by actuators near the base.
• Parallel robots – Often actuators are at the base.
• Actuators drive a joint through a transmission device
• Three commonly used types of actuators:
― Hydraulic
― Pneumatic
― Electric motors
 Power Supply
• Like the human body requires food in order to function, robots require
power.
• Most robots utilize lead-acid batteries for their safe qualities and long shelf
life while others may utilize the more compact but also more expensive
silver-cadmium variety.
• Safety, weight, replace ability and lifecycle are all important factors to
consider when designing a robot’s power supply. 
 End Effectors
• An end– effectors is a device attached to the wrist of a manipulator for the
purpose of holding materials, parts, tools to perform a specific task.

End- Effectors

Grippers Tools
End-effectors used to grasp End-effectors designed to perform
and hold objects. some specific tasks
Ex. Spot welding electrode, spray gun.
End- Effectors
End- Effectors
Robotic Manipulator
 Kinematics
• Kinematics is a branch of physics and a subdivision of classical mechanics
concerned with the geometrically possible motion of a body or system of
bodies without consideration of the forces involved (i.e., causes and effects
of the motions).
• Motion of Robot arm without considering the forces and /or moments.
• In kinematics we consider the relative motion of different joints and links
but we generally do not try to find out the reason behind this particular
relative moment.
• Dynamics : Study of the forces and / or moments.
 Robotic Manipulator
• Robotic manipulator is a mechanical structure formed by links and joints so
that they can control end- effector. It has a tool that allows manipulation
operation.
• The robotic manipulators are composed of:
 Kinematic chain composed of Links and Joints.
 The BASE: can be either fixed in the work environment or placed on a
mobile platform.
 End-Effector: Tool is located at the end, used to execute the desired
operations [gripper or specic tool].
Robotic Manipulator
Robotic Manipulator
 Joints
• A joint connects two or more links.
• A joint imposes constraints on the links it connects.
― 2 free rigid bodies have 6+6 degrees of freedom.
― Hinge joint connecting two free rigid bodies ! 6+1 degrees of freedom.
― Hinge joint imposes 5 constraints, i.e., hinge joint allows 1 relative (rotary) degree of
freedom.
• Degree of freedom of a joint in 3D space: 6 - m where m is the number of
constraint imposed.
• Serial manipulators ! All joints actuated ! One-degree-of-freedom joints used.
• Parallel and hybrid manipulators ! Some joints passive !
• Multi-degree-of-freedom joints can be used.
Types of Joints
Types of Joints
Types of Joints
 Links
• A link is a rigid body in 3D space – most robots are rigidly built.
• A rigid body 3 D space has 6 degrees of freedom ! 3 rotation + 3 translation
! 6 parameters.
• For links connected by rotary (R) and prismatic (P), possible to use 4
parameters – Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H)parameters (see Denavit &
Hartenberg,1955).
• 4 parameters since lines related to rotary(R) and prismatic (P) joint axis are
used.
• For multi-degree-of-freedom joints ! Use equivalent number of one-degree-
of-freedom joints.
 MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF ROBOTS
• New robots with improved capabilities made every day.
• Technology changes but the underlying science/principles change more
slowly.
• Basic ingredients — Kinematics, dynamics, control, sensing and
programming.
• Kinematics — Motion of a object in three dimensional space without
worrying about the cause.
• 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) — 3 translations and 3 rotations of a rigid link.
• 6 actuators at joints to achieve 6 DOF — Direct and Inverse kinematics
problem.
• Dynamics — Motion of links and end-effector due to the action of external
forces/moments.
• Obtain equations of motion by using Newton Laws or Lagrangian
formulation.
• Direct (or forward ) and inverse problem in dynamics for simulation and
control.
• Inverse problem solution required for advance control and design of
manipulators
• Required to be done efficiently – O(n) algorithms.
Degrees of Freedom (DOF)
The PUMA 560 Manipulator
Kinematics Problems
Kinematics Problems
Workspace
Workspace
Direct and Inverse Kinematics
 Dynamics
• Kinematics ! Cause of motion not considered.
• Dynamics ! Motion of links of a robot due to external forces and/or
moments.
• Main assumption: All links are rigid – No deformation.
• Motion of links described by ordinary differential equations (ODEs), also
called equations of motion.
• Several methods to derive the equations of motion – Newton-Euler,
Lagrangian and Kane’s methods.
 Dynamics
• Newton-Euler – Obtain linear and angular velocities and accelerations of
each link, free-body diagrams, and Newton’s law and Euler equations.
• Lagrangian formulation – Obtain kinetic and potential energy of each link,
obtain the scalar Lagrangian, and take partial and ordinary derivatives.
• Kane’s formulation – Choose generalised coordinates and speeds, obtain
generalised active and inertia forces, and equate the active and inertia
forces.
• Each formulation has its advantages and disadvantages.
 Dynamics
• Two main problems in robot dynamics:
• Direct problem – Obtain motion of links given the applied external
forces/moments.
• Inverse problem – Obtain joint torques/forces required for a desired motion
of links.
• Direct problem involves solution of ODE’s -Simulation.
• Inverse dynamics ! For sizing of actuators and other components, and for
advanced model based control schemes.
• Computational efficiency is of interest – seek O(N) or O(logN) .
POSITION OF A RIGID BODY
ORIENTATION OF A RIGID BODY
ORIENTATION – DIRECTION COSINES
ORIENTATION – PROPERTIES OF A
[R]
B
ORIENTATION – PROPERTIES OF A
[R]
B
Orientation Using (k,ф)
ORIENTATION – SIMPLE ROTATION
ORIENTATION – SIMPLE ROTATION
SUCCESSIVE ROTATIONS
ORIENTATION – THREE ANGLES
X–Y–Z EULER ANGLES
X–Y–Z EULER ANGLES
COMBINED TRANSLATION AND ORIENTATION OF A
RIGID BODY
Homogeneous Transformation
4 X 4 Transformation Matrix Properties
4 X 4 Transformation Matrix Properties
D-H Parameters
 Joint Parameters
• The relative Position and Orientation of two successive links can be
specified by two joint parameters , Joint Angle and Joint Distance.
• Joint k connects link k-1 to link k. The parameters associated with joint k
are defined w.r.t. zk-1, which is aligned with the axis of joint k.
 Joint Parameters
• The joint angle θk is the rotation about Zk-1 needed to make axis Xk-1 parallel
with axis Xk.
• Joint distance dk, is the translation along Zk-1 needed to make Xk-1 intersect
with axis Xk.
• Thus joint angle is a rotation about axis of joint k, while joint distance is a
translation along joint axis.
• For each joint it will always be the case that one of these parameter is
fixed.
 Link Parameters
• The relative position and orientation of the axis of two successive joints can
be specified by two link parameters, link length and link twist angle.
• Link k connects joint k-1to joint k.
• The parameters associated with link k are defined w.r.t. Xk, which is
common normal between the axes of joint k-1 and k.
• Link length, ak is the translation along Xk needed to make axis Zk-1 intersect
Zk .
• Twist angle αk is the rotation about Xk needed to make axis Zk-1 parallel
with axis Zk.
D-H Parameters