ME 4641: Robotics and Automation

Prerequisite: ME 4620 System Dynamics and

ME 4640 Automatic Control

Introduction
 Course Objectives

The course provides the students with the

fundamental knowledge needed for
understanding the kinematics, dynamics,
synthesis, and Control of robotic systems.

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 Course goals
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
• Understand the different classifications of robot manipulators.
• Understand the forward kinematics problem and inverse
kinematics problem of robot manipulators.
• Formulate the Jacobian of robot manipulator and understand its
importance in robot kinematics and dynamics analysis.
• Formulate the dynamic equations of manipulators.
• Understand the different method used to control robot
manipulators.
• Solve problems related to engineering profession applications
in robotics.
 Textbook
Lung – Wen Tsai
“Robot Analysis: The mechanics of serial and
parallel manipulators”
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999.

John Craig
“Introduction to Robotics: Mechanics and Control”
4th edition, Prentice-Hall, 2017.

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 Course Contents
Introduction of robotics. classification and characteristics of robots.
Spatial description and transformation. Robot arm kinematics
(direct kinematics and inverse kinematics problem). Differential
kinematics (Jacobean Analysis) and statics. Dynamics of robot
manipulators (Lagrange formulation and Newton Euler
Formulation). Trajectory planning and motion control of robot
manipulators. Actuators and sensors used in robotic systems.
 Course Topics
• Introduction (Ch. 1 Tsai & Ch. 1 Craig).
• Position Analysis of Serial Manipulators (Ch. 2 Tsai).
• Jacobian Analysis of Serial Manipulators (Ch. 4 Tsai).
• Statics and Stiffness Analysis (Ch. 6 Tsai).
• Dynamics of Serial Manipulators (Ch. 9 Tsai).
• Trajectory generation (Ch. 7 Craig).
• Control of manipulators (Ch. 9, 10, and 11 Craig).

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 Course Assessment

• Midterm Test 25 %

• Quizzes 10 %

• Homework 10 %

• Project 10%

• Class Activity 5%

• Final Examination 40 %
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 Introduction to Robotics
• The term robot means different things to different people.
• Science fiction books and movies have strongly influenced what many
people expect a robot to be or what it can do.
• Sadly, the practice of robotics is far behind this popular conception.
• One thing is certain though – robotics will be an important technology
in this century.
• The term robot first appeared in a 1920 Czech science fiction play
“Rossum’s Universal Robots” by Karel Chapek.
• The robots in the play were artificial people or androids.
The word “Android” means a robot with a human appearance.
Part of the 1920 Czech science fiction play “Rossum’s Universal Robots
(RUR) ” by Karel Chapek.

In the introductory scene Helena Glory is visiting Harry Domin the director
general of Rossum’s Universal Robots and his robotic secretary Sulla.
Domin: Sulla, let Miss Glory have a look at you.
Helena: (stands and offers her hand) Pleased to meet you. It must be very
hard for you out here, cut off from the rest of the world [the factory is on an
island]
Sulla: I do not know the rest of the world Miss Glory. Please sit down.
Helena: (sits) Where are you from?
Sulla: From here, the factory.
Helena: Oh, you were born here.
Sulla: Yes, I was made here.
Helena: (startled) What?
Domin: (laughing) Sulla isn’t a person, Miss Glory, she’s a robot.
Helena: Oh, please forgive me …
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 The Three Laws of Robotics

The best-known set of laws are Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics”.
These were introduced in his 1942 short story “Runaround”.
The Three Laws are:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a
human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except
where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection
does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics are Wrong
Peter W. Singer

• The most important reason for Asimov’s Laws not being

applied yet is how robots are being used in our real world. You
don’t arm a Reaper drone with a Hellfire missile or put a
machine gun on a MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed
Robotic System) not to cause humans to come to harm. That is
the very point!
• The point here is that much of the funding for robotic research
comes from the military, which is paying for robots that follow
the very opposite of Asimov’s laws.

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An industrial robot is a mechanical device that can be programmed
to perform a wide variety of applications.

Arc welding
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Trajectory generation

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Manipulator design and sensors

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Position control

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 ROBOT CLASSIFICATION

Robots may be classified according to various

criteria such as

• Drive technologies
• Work envelope geometries
• Motion control method
• Redundant and non-redundant manipulators

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 Drive Technologies

• Hydraulics Actuators

• Pneumatic Actuators

• Electrical Actuators

• Artificial Muscles

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Hydraulic Power
Hydraulic Power Drive Method is used in high-speed
manipulation of large loads is required.

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Pneumatic Power

Pneumatic cylinders

Path

Pneumatic valve
Magnetic end effector

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 Electrical Power
Most robotic manipulators today use electric drives in
form of either DC servomotors or DC stepper motors

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 Work-Envelope Geometries
Types of robot joints

Type Notation Symbol Description

Revolute R Rotary motion about

an axis
Prismatic P Linear motion along
an axis

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Cartesian Robot (PPP)

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Cylindrical Robot (RPP)

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Spherical Robot (RRP)

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Spherical Robot (RRP)
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 4- SCARA Robot (RRP)

* SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm)

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SCARA Robot (RRP)
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5- Articulated Robot (RRR)

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 3- Motion Control Methods
Motion control is the method which used to move the tool
or the end effector There is two methods of movement .

• Point to point

• Continuous path

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Point to point

Point-to-point motion is useful for operation which are

discrete in nature as

• Spot welding

• Pick-and-place

• Loading and unloading

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Continuous path
Here the end-effector must follow a prescribed path in
three-dimensional space and the speed of motion along
the path may be vary.

Application:
• Spray painting

• Arc wilding

• Gluing

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Degree of Freedom
The mobility (number of degrees of freedom DoF of a linkage) is
the minimum number of independent coordinates needed to
specify the positions of all members of the mechanism relative to a
particular member chosen as the base or frame.

Planar Mechanisms:
Total mobility = 3(n-1), one link is fixed (frame)

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Spatial Mechanisms:

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Example
Determine the mobility of the
linkage shown in the figure.

n=4
j=4
j

f
i =1
i = 4 1 = 4
j
DoF = 3(n − j − 1) +  f i
i =1

DoF = 3(4 − 4 − 1) + 4

DoF = 1

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Example
Determine the mobility
of the linkage shown in
the figure.

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