Industrial Manipulators & AGVs:

• History of development of robots.

• Main body types of manipulators with examples
• Typical end effectors
• Power transmission systems in robots
• Tasks executed by robots.

HISTORY OF ROBOTS:

• Main bodies & wrists:

Figure 3.1.1 shows PUMA robot (the manipulator). A total of 6 variables are required, for
specifying the position and orientation of a rigid body in space. Therefore PUMA has 6 axis of
rotation with 1 DOF (degree of freedom) per axis. The functioning of this robot is like a human
arm. Each DOF has an actuator for motion.
Types of main bodies:
One generalization is that the main body of the robot is used to position an object (or tool) while
the wrist is used to orient it. Grippers are used to grasp objects.
 FIG.3.2.1.
Cartesian Robot (see figure 3.2.1). On several shop floors “Gantry” type of Cartesian robots
(consisting of overhead rails) are used for operations over large spaces.

Cylindrical main body. PPR (See figure 3.2.2). Such motions are found typically in drilling
machines. A similar main body is used in robots to access points in a cylindrical volume.
(Essentially R- q motion in a plane – which in turn translates along the Z-axis.)

Spherical main body (RRP - Figure 3.2.3) There is a base rotation and a portion of the arm moves
in and out (a telescopic motion). The work volume is a portion of a hollow sphere. (Essentially R-
q - f motions).
Articulated type main body robot (typical human arm) (RRR Type)(See Figure 3.2.4)

SCARA robot – This also has a cylindrical workspace. RRP main body. Such robots were used to
assemble the SONY Walkman. The “P” is for raising and lowering the end effector. Otherwise all
the motion is in a horizontal plane. (See Figures 3.2.5)
WRISTS:

WRISTS: Wrist roll, yaw, and pitch (Figure 3.3.1). There are 3 motions and 3 actuators are
required for motion
GRIPPERS IN MANIPULATOR:
Grippers are used to grip, pick, place, and release the object.

There may be single gripper and / or multiple grippers. Many a time grippers are actuated by
pneumatic systems.

Fig.3.3.2

EE types (Figure3.3.2): spot welding gun for different position weld on automotive assembly
line. Following figure shows typical End Effectors used on assembly, machining line.

Gripper (figure 3.3.3) This pneumatic gripper (balloon shaped) is being used to pickup hollow
cylindrical objects by gripping them on the inside surface.
In this gripper the gripper faces move parallel to each other using a parallel bar mechanism.
Ultrasonic waves detect whether the object is present and then the fingers close to pick the object.
(Figure 3.3.4)

Transmission
Ball screw drive (motor at base) Ball Screws reduce friction and preloading them reduces
backlash (Figure 3.4.1.1)

Motor rotation is converted into linear motion of a nut engaging a screw and this in turn is
converted into oscillation of output

Linkages for transmission. The actuator (mounted at the base, drives the output through linkage
mechanisms
Tasks Planning for robots
• Point to point tasks (PTP): This requires the robot to carry an object from one position to
another. The end locations (position and orientation) are known. A simple manipulator for
such tasks is the pneumatic manipulator.
• Continuous Path Motion - Painting application are an example where the end effector has
to move over a desired curve in space. Painting, being hazardous for manual operation servo
controlled electric robots (with fire proof motors) are employed.
• Palletizing (soft drink bottles to be placed in a crate). This is a special type of Point to
Point task – this occurs when bottles are placed in a crate. See Figure 3.5.1
Assembly tasks are typically those which involve insertion of a peg into a hole. See Figure 3.5.2

Stiffness and work space are among the parameters for selecting a robot manipulator. The
question as to whether one can position and orient a rigid body in any way in the work space is of
importance. In some portion of the workspace called the dexterous work space wherein a high
degree of orientation is possible, elsewhere the range of orientation is far less.
Part Presentation
Most industrial manipulators do not posses adequate number of sensors to determine whether the
part it has to handle is in the right position and orientation. So part presentation systems are used
to present parts in correct orientation

In Fig 3.6.1 and 3.6.2 parts are inspected by a camera and if they are wrongly oriented, rejected
for example by blowing a jet of air at them as in Fig. 3.6.1.
Introduction
• Manipulators are built as serial chains or parallel chains or occasionally a combination of
both.
• Link and joints (revolute and prismatic), that are mostly used in manipulators, are shown
in Figure 4.1.1.
• 3R planar manipulator is shown in Figure 4.1.2.
• 2RPR planer manipulator is shown in Figure 4.1.2.

• In spatial manipulators (open chains) adjacent axes are parallel or perpendicular to each
other.
Forward or direct kinematics & inverse kinematics
• Direct kinematics: Here link parameters (link lengths) and joint variables (typically
angles) are given and one has to find out the position and orientation of the end-effector
(EE).
• Inverse kinematics: Given link parameters and position and orientation of the end
effector, one has to find joint variables, Example of 2R & 3R manipulator are given in
next sessions, for the forward & inverse kinematics problem
ACCURACY & REPEATABILITY:
Resolution (least-count), accuracy and repeatability are often sought by the user. The resolution
may be called as the least distance the robot end effector could move through. This depends on
the resolution of the actuator system, sensors used to control joint motions, and varies with
position of EE in the workspace. Accuracy is the difference between the position attained and the
desired target position. When a robot is programmed to reach a point repeatedly it may be
reaching a cluster of points close to each other. Such a robot has good repeatability. If this cluster
is close to the targeted point the robot has not only good repeatability but also good accuracy. A
robot could provide good repeatability but poor accuracy if this cluster is far from the targeted
point
In figure 4.1.3 the robot EE is required to reach the centre of the circle – the target point. The
circle on extreme left shows the situation when the robot has poor accuracy and poor
repeatability. The circle in the middle shows the EE has been repeatedly reaching positions which
are close together though away from the target point. The third picture shows the robot has
repeatedly reached points close to the target and this is a case of good repeatability and accuracy.
Degrees Of Freedom
It is required to find DOF for a manipulator which in turn decides the number of actuators
required. The task is relatively straightforward for open chains –serial manipulators. In most of
these, the chain is composed of links connected through revolute or prismatic pairs. The degrees
of freedom simply turn out to be the number of moving links in the open chain - and the number
of actuators will equal the degrees of freedom. The word “axis” is often used instead of degrees
of freedom. Thus a manipulator with six moving links and as many revolute pairs is called a 6-
axis manipulator. Note that the actuator used to power the gripper (open and close fingers etc) is
not counted as an “axis” – since the function of the actuator on the gripper is solely to open and
close the fingers. Also, the actuator for the gripper does not contribute to the positioning and
orienting capability of the end-effector
Closed chains

To find the DOF of mechanism in robot, Gubler's formula for closed chains or given set of n links
is applied.
• For the 5R mechanism shown above Figure 5.1.1, let Jr- no of revolute joints; Jp – no of
prismatic joints Then Gublers formula states that DOF=3(n-1)-2Jr-2Jp For above
mechanism of 5R; DOF=3(5-1)-2x5=2
• For 4RP mechanism, n=5, Jr=4, Jp=1 therefore DOF= 3(5-1)-2x4-2x1=2

Figure 5.1.2 for 6R bar planer mechanism n=6, Jr= 6, Jp=0 Therefore Mechanism DOF = 3(6-1)-
2x6=15-12=3.
 • Workspace of closed chains will be less than that of open chains.

Stewart platform: Here 2 rings top & bottom are connected together through prismatic links and
having ball & socket joint at bottom and hooks joint at top. Figure 5.2.1 beside. Stewart platform
finds application in aircraft simulator where pilots are trained.
Applying Grublers criterion for closed chains,
N=no of links=1
Js=no of spherical joints=6
Jh= no of hook's joint=6
Jr= no of revolute joint=0
Jp= no of prismatic joints=6
DOF = F=6(l-n-1) + S fi
Where l= no. of links
N= no of joints
fi = DOF with ith joint
Therefore, F = 6(14-18-1) + 36 = 6.
Teaching and Measurement:

• Manipulators may be used as measuring tools as shown in figure 5.3.1. With link lengths
and joint angles known we can determine position & orientation of end effector. This
technique is used for “teaching”.
Transmission Angle
An example of rear pivoted cylinder mechanism. Fig 6.1.1.(above left). No side thrust arises
between cylinder and piston.
Transmission angle of force: important from point of power transmission efficiency and this
angle needs to be checked in mechanisms that are used in robot actuators. Fig 6.1.2.above shows
the best and worst scenarios of transmission angle.

COUPLING OF ACTUATOR MOTIONS:

The mechanism shown in Fig. 6.2 has coupled motion unlike the one in 6.1.1. In the device in
Fig. 6.2.1 assume Cyl 1 is locked, the motion of Cyl 2 affects both . In Fig. 6.1.1 the
motion of one actuator affects only one angle