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The aim of this paper is the development of a modular robotic system for generic industrial applications, including assembly.

A library of robotic modules has been designed; they are divided into two categories: link modules, not actuated, and joint modules, actuated; the library is characterized by a relatively low number of elements, but allows the assembly of a wide variety of medium‐size serial robots.

The prototypes of two joint modules (a revolute joint module and a wrist module) and of some link modules have been realized. The behaviour of several serial robots composed of the designed modules has been assessed by multibody simulation. The results confirm the goodness of the proposed approach.

The two prototype modules are under test in combination with simplified modules. The further steps of the research programme will be the completion of the prototype library, and an experimental campaign on different serial chains.

Modularity allows one to achieve a great variety of robots starting from a small set of modules, in order to match different operative requirements. Moreover, modularity dramatically reduces the time‐to‐repair of the robot and consequently improves its overall availability; this is a fundamental feature for modern industrial enterprises aiming at maximizing the resources availability.

The proposed mechanical design of the revolute joint modules, based on a harmonic drive that connects two bodies in relative rotational motion, is compact and robust. Modularity is not restricted to mechanics: a distributed control system is adopted to make the reconfiguration of the robot easier and quicker.

Branched articulated robots (BARs) are highly non-linear systems; accurate dynamic identification is critical for model-based control in high-speed and heavy-load applications. However, due to some dynamic parameters being redundant, dynamic models are singular, which increases the calculation amount and reduces the robustness of identification. This paper aims to propose a novel methodology for the dynamic analysis and redundant parameters elimination of BARs.

At first, the motion of a rigid body is divided into constraint-dependent and constraint-independent. The redundancy of inertial parameters is analyzed from physical constraints. Then, the redundant parameters are eliminated by mapping posterior links to their antecedents, which can be applied for re-deriving the Newton–Euler formulas. Finally, through parameter transformation, the presented dynamic model is non-singular and available for identification directly.

New formulas for redundant parameters elimination are explicit and computationally efficient. This unifies the redundant parameters elimination of prismatic and revolute joints for BARs, and it is also applicable to other types of joints containing constraints. The proposed approach is conducive to facilitating the modelling phase during the robot identification. Simulation studies are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed redundant parameters elimination and non-singular dynamic model determination. Experimental studies are carried out to verify the result of the identification algorithm.

This work proposes to determine and directly identify the non-redundant dynamic model of robots, which can help to reduce the procedure of obtaining the reversible regression matrix for identification.

The main purpose of this study is to develop a systematic method that can minimize joint clearance for non‐assembly mechanism fabrication using a layer‐based fabrication technology.

Joint clearance is one of the key factors affecting a mechanism's performance. Hertz theory is adopted to analyze the joint clearance‐penetration displacement relationship and the impact force‐displacement relationship. This analysis has indicated the importance of reducing joint clearance. To reduce joint clearance in layer‐based fabrication, a drum‐shaped roller is proposed for pin joint design in non‐assembly mechanism fabrication. Compared to cylindrical pin joint design, a drum‐shaped roller joint results in less impact force in mechanism operation. Furthermore, the joint clearance can also be drastically reduced.

Large joint clearance could introduce instability into the dynamic behaviour of a mechanism. By applying a drum‐shaped roller, the instability could apparently be alleviated. This has been demonstrated by both simulation and fabrication of a number of mechanisms with and without drum‐shaped pin joints.

Since the proposed joint design can reduce the joint clearance in rapid fabrication of non‐assembly mechanisms, it is possible to expand layer‐based rapid fabrication techniques for more mechanism design applications.

Layer‐based fabrication technologies have two distinct advantages: building parts without geometry restriction; and building sub‐systems (static or mobile) without the need for assembly. Only very few previous studies have investigated the applications that can benefit from the second advantage due to the limited accuracy of layer‐based technologies in making joints of a mechanism. Through the proposed drum‐shaped roller pin joint design together with the proposed joint design guidelines, joint clearance can be reduced significantly. Thus, sub‐systems or mechanisms built using layer‐based technologies could have accuracy close to the design specification. This will expand the application of layer‐based technologies to more mechanism or mobile mechanical system studies.

This paper aims to design and control of a novel compact transportation system called the “wearable vehicle”. The wearable vehicle allows for traversing all types of terrains while transporting one's luggage in a comfortable and efficient manner.

The proposed design consists of a lower limb exoskeleton carrying two motorized wheels and two free wheels installed alongside its feet. This paper presents a detailed description of the system with its preliminary design and finite element analysis. Moreover, the system has been optimally designed to decrease wearable vehicle’s total weight, consequently leading to a reduction in motor size. Finally, two controllers have been designed to achieve stable operation of the wearable vehicle while walking. A PD controller with gravity compensation has been designed to ensure that the wearable vehicle tracks human motion, while a PID controller has been designed to ensure that the zero moment point is close to the center of the system’s support polygon.

Experimental tests were carried out to check the wearable vehicle concept. The obtained results prove the feasibility of the proposed wearable vehicle from the design, dynamics and control viewpoints.

This proposed wearable vehicle’s purpose is for traveling faster with less effort than normal walking. When a human comes across a flat open ground, the wearable vehicle can be used as a vehicle. However, when a human enters crowded traffic, an unstructured area or other obstacles like stairs, the vehicle can be switched into walking mode.

The wearable vehicle has seven DOFs exoskeletons, two motorized wheels, two free wheels and a foldable seat. It is used as a vehicle via its motorized and free wheels to travel fast with minimal effort. In addition, the human can switch easily into walking mode, if there is unstructured terrain to be traversed. Furthermore, an illustration of system's mechanisms and main feature parameters are presented to become acquainted with the ultimate benefits of the new system.

The application of rapid prototyping in fabricating a non‐assembly, multi‐articulated robotic hand with inserts is presented in this paper. The development of robotic systems that have all necessary components inserted, with no assembly required, and ready to function when the manufacturing process is complete is quite attractive. Layered manufacturing, in particular stereolithography, can provide a means to do this. Stereolithography produces a solid plastic prototype via a manufacturing procedure where three‐dimensional solid models are constructed layer upon layer by the fusion of material under computer control. An important aspect of the rapid prototype method used in this research is that multi‐jointed systems can be fabricated in one step, without requiring assembly, while maintaining the desired joint mobility. This document presents the design and techniques for part insertion into a non‐assembly, multi‐articulated, dexterous finger prototype built with stereolithography.

Calibrating kinematic parameters is one of the efficient ways to improve the robot's positioning accuracy. A method based on the product-of-exponential (POE) formula to calibrate the kinematic parameters of serial industrial robots is proposed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The forward kinematics is established, and the general positioning error model is deduced in an explicit expression. A simplified model of robot's positioning error is established as both the error of reference configuration and the error of rigid displacement of the base coordinating system with respect to the measuring coordinating system are equivalently transferred to the zero position errors of the robot's joints. A practical calibration model is forwarded only requiring 3D measuring based on least-squares algorithm. The calibration system and strategy for calibrating kinematic parameters are designed.

By the two geometrical constrains between the twist coordinates, each joint twist only has four independent coordinates. Due to the equivalent error model, the zero position error of each joint can cover the error of reference configuration and rigid displacement of the robot base coordinating system with respect to the measuring coordinating system. The appropriate number of independent kinematic parameters of each joint to be calibrated is five.

It is proved by a group of calibration experiments that the calibration method is well conditioned and can be used to promote the level of absolute error of end effector of industrial robot to 2.2 mm.

The purpose of this paper is to solve the path‐planning problem of industrial robots in complex environments.

A direct method (in each step, the path is been recorded) is presented in which the search of the path is made in the state space of the robotic system, and it makes use of the information generated about the characteristics of the process, introducing graph techniques for branching. The method poses an optimization problem that aims at minimizing the distance travelled by the significant points of the robot.

A new approach to solve the path‐planning problem has been introduced in which the behaviour of three operational parameters (computational time, distance travelled and number of configurations generated) have been analyzed so that the user can choose the most efficient algorithm depending on which parameter he is most interested in.

A new technique has been introduced which yields good results as the examples show.

The algorithm is able to obtain the solution to the path‐planning problem for any industrial robot working in a complex environment.

Gives a new tool for solving the path‐planning problem.

This study aims to represent a novel closed-form solutions method based on the product of the exponential model to solve the inverse kinematics of a robotic manipulator. In addition, this method is applied to master–slave control of the minimally invasive surgical (MIS) robot.

For MIS robotic inverse kinematics, the closed-form solutions based on the product of the exponential model of manipulators are divided into the RRR and RRT subproblems. Geometric and algebraic constraints are used as preconditions to solve two subproblems. In addition, several important coordinate systems are established on the surgical robot and master–slave mapping strategies are illustrated in detail. Finally, the MIS robot can realize master–slave control by combining closed-form solutions and master–slave mapping strategy.

The simulation of the instrument manipulator based on the RRR and RRT subproblems is executed to verify the correctness of the proposed closed-form solutions. The fact that the accuracy of the closed-form solutions is better than that of the compensation method is validated by the contrastive linear trajectory experiment, and the average and the maximum tracking errors are 0.1388 mm and 0.3047 mm, respectively. In the animal experiment, the average and maximum tracking error of the left instrument manipulator are 0.2192 mm and 0.4987 mm, whereas the average and maximum tracking error of the right instrument manipulator are 0.1885 mm and 0.6933 mm. The successful completion of the animal experiment comprehensively demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of the master–slave control strategy based on the novel closed-form solutions.

The proposed closed-form solutions are error-free in theory. The master–slave control strategy is not affected by calculation error when the closed-form solutions are used in the surgical robot. And the accuracy and reliability of the master–slave control strategy are greatly improved.

This paper aims to present a soft closed-chain modular gripper for robotic pick-and-place applications. The proposed biomimetic gripper design is inspired by the Fin Ray effect, derived from fish fins physiology. It is composed of three axisymmetric fingers, actuated with a single actuator. Each finger has a modular under-actuated closed-chain structure. The finger structure is compliant in contact normal direction, with stiff crossbeams reorienting to help the finger structure conform around objects.

Starting with the design and development of the proposed gripper, a consequent mathematical representation consisting of closed-chain forward and inverse kinematics is detailed. The proposed mathematical framework is validated through the finite element modeling simulations. Additionally, a set of experiments was conducted to compare the simulated and prototype finger trajectories, as well as to assess qualitative grasping ability.

Key Findings are the presented mathematical model for closed-loop chain mechanisms, as well as design and optimization guidelines to develop controlled closed-chain grippers.

The proposed methodology and mathematical model could be taken as a fundamental modular base block to explore similar distributed degrees of freedom (DOF) closed-chain manipulators and grippers. The enhanced kinematic model contributes to optimized dynamics and control of soft closed-chain grasping mechanisms.

The approach is aimed to improve the development of soft grippers that are required to grasp complex objects found in human–robot cooperation and collaborative robot (cobot) applications.

The proposed closed-chain mathematical framework is based on distributed DOFs instead of the conventional lumped joint approach. This is to better optimize and understand the kinematics of soft robotic mechanisms.

Robotic industrial applications are very well established in the manufacturing industry, while they are relatively in their infancy phase in the construction sector. The need for automation in construction is clear especially in repetitive tasks. The excavation process, which is generally critical in most construction projects, is a prime example of such tasks. This paper addresses automation assistance in excavation. The work utilized the robotics approach towards the automation of a typical excavator model, whose structure closely resembled that of an industrial manipulator. A simulation package using Matlab was developed using several embedded design and analysis tools. Emulation was also carried out on the RHINO educational robot to confirm the simulation results. The constructed simulation package offered an integrated environment for trajectory design and analysis for an excavator while addressing the constraints related to the excavator structure, safety and stability, and mode of application.