Module: control of manipulator robots

The module program is :

Chapter 1 : General terminology and definitions
Chapter 2 : Homogeneous transformation matrices between benchmarks
Chapter 3 : Direct geometric model ( DGM) of manipulator robots with simple open
Chain
Chapter 4 : Inverse geometric model (IGM) of manipulator robot with simple open
Chain
Chapter 5 : Direct kinematic model (DKM)
Chapter 6 : Dynamic model (DM) of manipulator robots
Chapter 7 : Nonlinear control of a 2 DOF manipulator robot

Chapter 1: General terminology and definitions

1.1 introduction:
A robot is a position-controlled manipulator, reprogrammable, multi-purpose, multi-
degree-of-freedom, capable of manipulating objects. It often has the appearance of one
or more arms ending with an organ called end-effector (wrist). Its control unit uses
memory and devices for perception and adaptation to the environment.
A robotic cell is characterized by the following components:
- The mechanism: it has a structure close to that of the human arm. It allows you
to bring the wrist to the desired situation. Its motorization is carried out by
electric actuators, pneumatic, etc.
- Perception: it makes it possible to manage the relationships between the robot
and its environment. For perception, the robot can use the following sensors:
camera, infrared sensor, etc.
- The control : it synthesizes the instructions controlling the actuators
- The human machine interface: through this interface, the user programs the tasks
that the robot must execute.

1.2 Mechanical components of manipulator robots

A manipulator robot is made up of two distinct subassemblies: the en-effector (wrist) and an
articulated mechanical structure:
- The end-effector (wrist) : it is a device intended to manipulate objects (clamping, magnetic,
vacuum, etc.) or to transform them (tools, welding torch, paint gun, etc.). It is therefore an
interface allowing the robot to interact with its environment. The end-effector (wrist) can be
multifunctional, that is to say it is equipped with several devices with different functionalities.
- The articulated mechanical structure (the mechanism): its role is to bring the end-effector
(wrist) into a given situation (position and orientation), according to given speed and
acceleration characteristics. Its architecture is a kinematic chain of generally rigid bodies, or
supposed as such, assembled by connections called joints. Chains can be simple open, tree-
based, closed, etc.
1.3 The different structures of manipulator robots
Simple open chain manipulator robots are the most numerous (figure 1.1). The chains can also
be tree-based (figure 1.2). Structures containing kinematic loops have the essential advantage
of increasing rigidity as well as precision. They allow better static balancing. In general, there
are two classes of closed loops:
- Compound or complex kinematic chains in which at least one of the bodies has more than two
connections (figure 1.3).
- Elementary or simple kinematic chains which are such that all bodies have at most two
connections (figure 1.4)
Parallel robots in which the wrist is connected to the base of the mechanism by several parallel
chains. This structure (figure 1.5) ensures greater rigidity and therefore greater precision.

Fig. 1.1: Simple open chain Fig. 1.2 : tree-based Fig. 1.3 : complex chain

Fig. 1.4: Simple chain Fig. 1.5: Parallel robots

1.4 Joints
A joint links two successive bodies by limiting the number of degrees of freedom of one relative
to the other. Let m be the resulting number of degrees of freedom, also called joint mobility.
The mobility is such that 0 ≤ m ≤ 6 . In robotics, there are two types of joints:
- Revolute joint: this is a pivot type joint reducing the movement between two bodies to rotation
around an axis common to them. The relative situation between the two bodies is given by the
angle around this axis
- Prismatic joint: this is a slide-type joint reducing the movement between two bodies to a
translation along a common axis. The relative situation between the two bodies is given by the
distance along this axis. The symbols of these two joints are presented by the following figures
(figures 1.6 and 1.7).

Fig. 1.6: Revolute joint

Fig. 1.7: Prismatic joint:

1.5 Joint space

The joint space of a robot is that in which the situation of all its bodies is represented. The
simplest solution is to use joint variables or coordinates. Its dimension N is equal to the number
of independent joint variables and corresponds to the number of degrees of freedom of the
mechanical structure. Therefore, the degree of freedom of a manipulator robot is the number of
its joints.
1.6 Operational space
The operational space is the one in which the situation of the wrist (end-effector) is represented
(we therefore consider as many operational spaces as there are end-effectors). The simplest
solution is to use the Cartesian coordinates in ℝ3 for the position and the SO(3) group for the
orientation. Its dimension M constitutes the maximum degrees of freedom that the wrist can
have ( 0 ≤ M ≤ 6 and M ≤ N ).
1.7 Redundancy
A robot is redundant when the number of degrees of freedom of the end-effector is less than the
number of degrees of freedom of the joint space. This property makes it possible to increase the
volume of the accessible domain and to preserve the movement capacities of the wrist in the
presence of obstacles, the additional degree(s) of freedom authorizing their circumvention.
1.8 Conclusion
In this chapter, we presented some general terminologies and definitions of manipulator robots.
In the rest of the course, we are only interested in manipulating robots which have a simple
open structure.