The objective of this dissertation is to advance the state-of-the-art in the kinematic modeling, identification, and control of robotic manipulators with rigid links in an effort to improve robot kinematic performance. The positioning accuracy of commercially-available industrial robotic manipulators depends upon a kinematic model which describes the robot geometry in a parametric form. Manufacturing error in the machining and assembly of manipulators lead to discrepancies between the design parameters and the physical structure. Improving the kinematic perfor mance thus requires the identification of the actual kinematic parameters of each individual robot. The identified kinematic parameters are referred to as the arm signature. Existing robot kinematic models, such as the Denavit-Hartenberg model, are not directly applicable to kinematic parameter identification. In this dissertation we introduce a new kinematic model, called the 5-Model, which is applicable to kinematic parameter identification, and use it as the foundation for our development of a general technique for identifying the kinematic parameters of any robot with rigid links.

Written by two of Europe's leading robotics experts, this book provides the tools for a unified approach to the modelling of robotic manipulators, whatever their mechanical structure. No other publication covers the three fundamental issues of robotics: modelling, identification and control. It covers the development of various mathematical models required for the control and simulation of robots.·World class authority·Unique range of coverage not available in any other book·Provides a complete course on robotic control at an undergraduate and graduate level

This book introduces the latest advances in modular robotics, and presents a unified geometric framework for modeling, analysis, and design of modular robots, including kinematics, dynamics, calibration, and configuration optimization. Supplementing the main content with a wealth of illustrations, the book offers a valuable guide for researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of mechatronics, robotics, and automation who wish to learn about the theory and practice of modular robots.

In this book we have grouped contributions in 28 chapters from several authors all around the world on the several aspects and challenges of research and applications of robots with the aim to show the recent advances and problems that still need to be considered for future improvements of robot success in worldwide frames. Each chapter addresses a specific area of modeling, design, and application of robots but with an eye to give an integrated view of what make a robot a unique modern system for many different uses and future potential applications. Main attention has been focused on design issues as thought challenging for improving capabilities and further possibilities of robots for new and old applications, as seen from today technologies and research programs. Thus, great attention has been addressed to control aspects that are strongly evolving also as function of the improvements in robot modeling, sensors, servo-power systems, and informatics. But even other aspects are considered as of fundamental challenge both in design and use of robots with improved performance and capabilities, like for example kinematic design, dynamics, vision integration.

This book focuses on end-to-end robotic applications using vision and control algorithms, exposing its readers to design innovative solutions towards sensors-guided robotic bin-picking and assembly in an unstructured environment. The use of sensor fusion is demonstrated through a bin-picking task of texture-less cylindrical objects. The system identification techniques are also discussed for obtaining precise kinematic and dynamic parameters of an industrial robot which facilitates the control schemes to perform pick-and-place tasks autonomously without any interference from the user. The uniqueness of this book lies in a judicious balance between theory and technology within the context of industrial application. Therefore, it will be valuable to researchers working in the area of vision- and force control- based robotics, as well as beginners in this inter-disciplinary area, as it deals with the basics and technologically advanced research strategies.

This book describes the latest research accomplishments, innovations, and visions in the field of robotics as presented at the 13th International Conference on Intelligent Autonomous Systems (IAS), held in Padua in July 2014, by leading researchers, engineers, and practitioners from across the world. The contents amply confirm that robots, machines, and systems are rapidly achieving intelligence and autonomy, mastering more and more capabilities such as mobility and manipulation, sensing and perception, reasoning, and decision making. A wide range of research results and applications are covered, and particular attention is paid to the emerging role of autonomous robots and intelligent systems in industrial production, which reflects their maturity and robustness. The contributions have been selected through a rigorous peer-review process and contain many exciting and visionary ideas that will further galvanize the research community, spurring novel research directions. The series of biennial IAS conferences commenced in 1986 and represents a premiere event in robotics.

Recently, research in robot kinematics has attracted researchers with different theoretical profiles and backgrounds, such as mechanical and electrica! engineering, computer science, and mathematics. It includes topics and problems that are typical for this area and cannot easily be met elsewhere. As a result, a specialised scientific community has developed concentrating its interest in a broad class of problems in this area and representing a conglomeration of disciplines including mechanics, theory of systems, algebra, and others. Usually, kinematics is referred to as the branch of mechanics which treats motion of a body without regard to the forces and moments that cause it. In robotics, kinematics studies the motion of robots for programming, control and design purposes. It deals with the spatial positions, orientations, velocities and accelerations of the robotic mechanisms and objects to be manipulated in a robot workspace. The objective is to find the most effective mathematical forms for mapping between various types of coordinate systems, methods to minimise the numerical complexity of algorithms for real-time control schemes, and to discover and visualise analytical tools for understanding and evaluation of motion properties ofvarious mechanisms used in a robotic system.

The purpose of this monograph is to present computationally efficient algorithms for solving basic problems in robot manipulator dynamics. In par ticular, the following problems of rigid-link open-chain manipulator dynam ics are considered : i) computation of inverse dynamics, ii) computation of forward dynamics, and iii) generation of linearized dynamic models. Com putationally efficient solutions of these problems are prerequisites for real time robot applications and simulations. Cartesian tensor analysis is the mathematical foundation on which the above mentioned computational algorithms are based. In particular, it is shown in this monograph that by exploiting the relationships between second order Cartesian tensors and their vector invariants, a number of new tensor vector identities can be obtained. These identities enrich the theory of Carte sian tensors and allow us to manipulate complex Cartesian tensor equations effuctively. Moreover, based on these identities the classical vector descrip tion for the Newton-Euler equations of rigid body motion are rewritten in an equivalent tensor formulation which is shown to have computational advan tages over the classical vector formulation. Thus, based on Cartesian tensor analysis, a conceptually simple, easy to implement and computationally efficient tensor methodology is presented in this monograph for studying classical rigid body dynamics. XlI Application of this tensor methodology to the dynamic analysis of rigid-link open-chain robot manipulators is simple and leads to an efficient fonnulation of the dynamic equations of motion.

Advances in Robotic Systems, Part 1 shows how the activity in robotic systems has increased significantly over the past decade. Major centers of research and development in robotic systems were established on the international scene, and these became focal points for the brilliant research efforts of many academicians and industrial professionals. The systems aspects of robotics, in general, and of robot control, in particular, are manifested through a number of technical facts. This book comprises 10 chapters, with the first focusing on applications of neural networks to robotics. The following chapters then discuss a unified approach to kinematic modeling, identification and compensation for robot calibration; nonlinear control algorithms in robotic systems; and kinematic and dynamic task space motion planning for robot control. Other chapters cover discrete kinematic modeling techniques in Cartesian space for robotic system; force distribution algorithms for multifingered grippers; frequency analysis for a discrete-time robot system; minimum cost trajectory planning for industrial robots; tactile sensing techniques in robotic systems; and sensor data fusion in robotic systems. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of computer science, systems science, and mathematics.