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1 – 10 of 269Hong-Xin Cui, Ke Feng, Huan-Liang Li and Jin-Hua Han
To improve the trajectory tracking accuracy of 6R decoupled manipulator in singularity region, this paper aims to propose a singularity avoidance algorithm named “singularity…
Abstract
Purpose
To improve the trajectory tracking accuracy of 6R decoupled manipulator in singularity region, this paper aims to propose a singularity avoidance algorithm named “singularity separation plus improved Gaussian distribution damped reciprocal”.
Design/methodology/approach
The manipulator is divided into forearm and wrist, and the corresponding singularity factors are separated based on kinematics calculation. Singularity avoidance is achieved by replacing the common reciprocal with the improved Gaussian distribution damped reciprocal.
Findings
Compared with common damped reciprocal algorithm and classical Gaussian distribution algorithm, the continuity of the proposed algorithm is improved and the tracking error is minimized. The simulation and experiment results prove effectiveness and practicability of the proposed algorithm.
Originality/value
This study has an important significance to improve the efficiency and operation accuracy of 6R decoupled manipulator.
Details
Keywords
Mohammadreza Dehghani, Majid Mohammadi Moghadam and Pourya Torabi
Removing the bone flap is a compulsory step in open skull surgeries and is very cumbersome and time-consuming. Exerting large forces during the milling and cutting of the skull…
Abstract
Purpose
Removing the bone flap is a compulsory step in open skull surgeries and is very cumbersome and time-consuming. Exerting large forces during the milling and cutting of the skull renders the surgeon exhausted and consequently increases probable errors in further task of manipulating the sensitive brain tissue. This paper aims to present the development of a robotic system capable of perforating and cutting the required bone flap without restraining the surgeon.
Design/methodology/approach
For the purpose of optimization, the target workspace is estimated by 3D modeling of the sample skull and bone flaps of targeted surgeries. The optimization considers kinematic performance matrices and the extracted workspace requirements by assigning scores to each possible design and finally selects the design with highest score.
Findings
The design utilizes a parallel remote center of motion mechanism. Coordinating the remote center of motion (RCM) of the mechanism with the center of a sphere which circumscribes the skull, the milling tool is always nearly perpendicular to the skull bone. The paper presents the concept design, optimization criteria and finally the optimal design of the robot and the fabricated prototype. Tests indicate that the prototype is able to sweep the target workspace and to exert the required forces for bone milling.
Originality value
The workspace requirements of the craniotomy/craniectomy surgeries are investigated and converted into one quantitative target workspace. An optimized design for a surgical robot is developed which satisfies the workspace requirements of the targeted surgeries.
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Nikola Lukic and Petar B. Petrovic
Stiffness control of redundant robot arm, aimed at using extra degrees of freedom (DoF) to shape the robot tool center point (TCP) elastomechanical behavior to be consistent with…
Abstract
Purpose
Stiffness control of redundant robot arm, aimed at using extra degrees of freedom (DoF) to shape the robot tool center point (TCP) elastomechanical behavior to be consistent with the essential requirements needed for a successful part mating process, i.e., to mimic part supporting mechanism with selective quasi-isotropic compliance (Remote Center of Compliance – RCC), with additional properties of inherent flexibility.
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretical analysis and synthesis of the complementary projector for null-space stiffness control of kinematically redundant robot arm. Practical feasibility of the proposed approach was proven by extensive computer simulations and physical experiments, based on commercially available 7 DoF SIA 10 F Yaskawa articulated robot arm, equipped with the open-architecture control system, system for generating excitation force, dedicated sensory system for displacement measurement and a system for real-time acquisition of sensory data.
Findings
Simulation experiments demonstrated convergence and stability of the proposed complementary projector. Physical experiments demonstrated that the proposed complementary projector can be implemented on the commercially available anthropomorphic redundant arm upgraded with open-architecture control system and that this projector has the capacity to efficiently affect the task-space TCP stiffness of the robot arm, with a satisfactory degree of consistency with the behavior obtained in the simulation experiments.
Originality/value
A novel complementary projector was synthesized based on the adopted objective function. Practical verification was conducted using computer simulations and physical experiments. For the needs of physical experiments, an adequate open-architecture control system was developed and upgraded through the implementation of the proposed complementary projector and an adequate system for generating excitation and measuring displacement of the robot TCP. Experiments demonstrated that the proposed complementary projector for null-space stiffness control is capable of producing the task-space TCP stiffness, which can satisfy the essential requirements needed for a successful part-mating process, thus allowing the redundant robot arm to mimic the RCC supporting mechanism behavior in a programmable manner.
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The aim of this paper is to develop a redundancy‐resolution (RR) algorithm to optimize the joint space trajectory of the six‐rotation‐axis industrial robot as performing…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to develop a redundancy‐resolution (RR) algorithm to optimize the joint space trajectory of the six‐rotation‐axis industrial robot as performing arc‐welding tasks.
Design/methodology/approach
The rotation of the tool around its symmetry axis is clearly irrelevant to the view of the task to be accomplished besides some exceptional situations. When performed with a general 6‐degrees‐of‐freedom (DOF) manipulator, there exists one DOF of redundancy that remains. By taking advantage of the symmetry axis of the welding electrode, the authors decompose the required instantaneous twist of the electrode into two orthogonal components, one lying into the relevant task subspace and one into the redundant task subspace, respectively. Joint‐limits and singularity avoidance are considered as the optimization objectives.
Findings
The twist‐decomposition algorithm is able to optimize effectively the joint space trajectory. It has been tested and demonstrated in simulation.
Originality/value
A new RR algorithm is introduced for the six‐rotation‐axis industrial robot performing welding tasks. A new kinetostatic performance index is proposed on evaluating the kinematic quality of robotic postures. It can also be used in other applications like milling, deburing and many other tasks requiring less than 6‐DOF in tool frame.
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Guolei Wang, Qiankun Yu, Tianyu Ren, Xiaotong Hua and Ken Chen
To paint large workpieces automatically, painting manipulators with hollow wrists must be transported by mobile platforms to different positions because of their limited…
Abstract
Purpose
To paint large workpieces automatically, painting manipulators with hollow wrists must be transported by mobile platforms to different positions because of their limited workspaces. This paper aims to provide a visualization method for finding appropriate base positions (BPs) and maximum painting areas for manipulators.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper begins by analyzing the motion characteristics of manipulators possessing a spherical wrist and summarizing them into three constraints – positioning, orientation and singularity avoidance. The hollow wrist is simplified and considered as spherical by introducing the concepts of an inner wrist center and an outer wrist center. Taking the three constraints into consideration, the boundaries of the manipulating space are formulated analytically. Finally, to verify the method, the space obtained is applied to determine the maximum painting areas for flat, cylindrical and conical surfaces. Experiments of robotic painting were used to confirm the results.
Findings
Compared with previous studies, the maximum areas obtained using the proposed method increased by 17-131 per cent with an algorithm of lower complexity, and the process remained visually intuitive, thereby demonstrating that the method of manipulating space is more effective.
Originality/value
Such a method allows individuals to visualize the entire painting area at the current BP, thereby maximizing painting areas or optimizing BPs. It opens a black box that is the relationship between BPs and blocks. The method can also be used to choose the best configuration for painting manipulators, select the end-effector structure parameters, split surfaces into blocks, etc.
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Shifa Sulaiman and A.P. Sudheer
Most of the redundant dual-arm robots are singular free, dexterous and collision free compared to other robotic arms. This paper aims to analyse the workspace of redundant arms to…
Abstract
Purpose
Most of the redundant dual-arm robots are singular free, dexterous and collision free compared to other robotic arms. This paper aims to analyse the workspace of redundant arms to study the manipulability. Furthermore, multi-layer perceptron (MLP) algorithm is used to determine the various joint parameters of both the upper body redundant arms. Trajectory planning of robotic arms is carried out with the help of inverse solutions obtained from the MLP algorithm.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the kinematic equations are derived from screw theory approach and inverse kinematic solutions are determined using MLP algorithm. Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) and Bayesian regulation (BR) techniques are used as the backpropagation algorithms. The results from two backpropagation techniques are compared for determining the prediction accuracy. The inverse solutions obtained from the MLP algorithm are then used to optimize the cubic spline trajectories planned for avoiding collision between arms with the help of convex optimization technique. The dexterity of the redundant arms is analysed with the help of Cartesian workspace of arms.
Findings
Dexterity of redundant arms is analysed by studying the voids and singular spaces present inside the workspace of arms. MLP algorithms determine unique solutions with less computational effort using BR backpropagation. The inverse solutions obtained from MLP algorithm effectively optimize the cubic spline trajectory for the redundant dual arms using convex optimization technique.
Originality/value
Most of the MLP algorithms used for determining the inverse solutions are used with LM backpropagation technique. In this paper, BR technique is used as the backpropagation technique. BR technique converges fast with less computational time than LM method. The inverse solutions of arm joints for traversing optimized cubic spline trajectory using convex optimization technique are computed from the MLP algorithm.
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This paper aims to use the redundancy of a 7-DOF (degree of freedom) serial manipulator to solve motion planning problems along a given 6D Cartesian tool path, in the presence of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to use the redundancy of a 7-DOF (degree of freedom) serial manipulator to solve motion planning problems along a given 6D Cartesian tool path, in the presence of geometric constraints, namely, obstacles and joint limits.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes an explicit expression of the task submanifolds for a 7-DOF redundant robot, and the submanifolds can be parameterized by two parameters with this explicit expression. Therefore, the global search method can find the feasible path on this parameterized graph.
Findings
The proposed planning algorithm is resolution complete and resolution optimal for 7-DOF manipulators, and the planned path can satisfy task constraint as well as avoiding singularity and collision. The experiments on Motoman SDA robot are reported to show the effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
This algorithm is still time-consuming, and it can be improved by applying parallel collision detection method or lazy collision detection, adopting new constraints and implementing more effective graph search algorithms.
Originality/value
Compared with other task constrained planning methods, the proposed algorithm archives better performance. This method finds the explicit expression of the two-dimensional task sub-manifolds, so it’s resolution complete and resolution optimal.
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Haoqiang Yang, Xinliang Li, Deshan Meng, Xueqian Wang and Bin Liang
The purpose of this paper is using a model-free reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm to optimize manipulability which can overcome difficulties of dilemmas of matrix inversion…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is using a model-free reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm to optimize manipulability which can overcome difficulties of dilemmas of matrix inversion, complicated formula transformation and expensive calculation time.
Design/methodology/approach
Manipulability optimization is an effective way to solve the singularity problem arising in manipulator control. Some control schemes are proposed to optimize the manipulability during trajectory tracking, but they involve the dilemmas of matrix inversion, complicated formula transformation and expensive calculation time.
Findings
The redundant manipulator trained by RL can adjust its configuration in real-time to optimize the manipulability in an inverse-free manner while tracking the desired trajectory. Computer simulations and physics experiments demonstrate that compared with the existing methods, the average manipulability is increased by 58.9%, and the calculation time is reduced to 17.9%. Therefore, the proposed method effectively optimizes the manipulability, and the calculation time is significantly shortened.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first method to optimize manipulability using RL during trajectory tracking. The authors compare their approach to existing singularity avoidance and manipulability maximization techniques, and prove that their method has better optimization effects and less computing time.
Details
Keywords
Jian Fang, Tao Mei, Jianghai Zhao and Tao Li
The purpose of this paper is to present a dual-mode online optimization method (OOM) for trajectory tracking of the redundant manipulators. This method could be used to resolve…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a dual-mode online optimization method (OOM) for trajectory tracking of the redundant manipulators. This method could be used to resolve the problem of the kinematics redundancy effectively when the manipulator moves in a limited space or its movements go through a singular point.
Design/methodology/approach
In the proposed method, the physical limits of the manipulator in the torque level is considered as inequality constraints for the optimal scheme. Besides, a dual-mode optimal scheme is developed to yield a feasible input in each control period during the path tracking task of the manipulator, especially when it moves under the limited space or around the singular point. Then, the scheme is formulated as a quadratic programming; the computationally efficient quadratic programming solver based on interior method is formulated to solve the kinematic redundancy problem.
Findings
The traditional pseudo inverse method (PIM) for the kinematic resolution to the redundant manipulator has some limitations, such as slow computation speed, unable to take joint physical limits into consideration, etc. Relatively, the OOM could be used to conquer the deficits of the PIM method. Combining with the dual-mode optimal scheme and considering the physical constraints in the torque level, the online method proposed in this paper is more robust and efficient than the existing method.
Originality/value
In this paper, dual-mode OOM is first proposed for the resolution of the kinematics redundancy problem. Specific design of its model and the discussion of its performance are also presented in this paper.
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Yi Wu, Xiaohui Jia, Tiejun Li, Chao Xu and Jinyue Liu
This paper aims to use redundant manipulators to solve the challenge of collision avoidance in construction operations such as welding and painting.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to use redundant manipulators to solve the challenge of collision avoidance in construction operations such as welding and painting.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a null-space-based task-priority adjustment approach is developed to avoid collisions. The method establishes the relative position of the obstacle and the robot arm by defining the “link space,” and then the priority of the collision avoidance task and the end-effector task is adjusted according to the relative position by introducing the null space task conversion factors.
Findings
Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed method can realize collision-free maneuvers for redundant manipulators and guarantee the tracking precision of the end-effector task. The experimental results show that the method can avoid dynamic obstacles in redundant manipulator welding tasks.
Originality/value
A new formula for task priority adjustment for collision avoidance of redundant manipulators is proposed, and the original task tracking accuracy is guaranteed under the premise of safety.
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