Robot Kinematics

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING 1

ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS
In robot motion analysis we study the
geometry of the robot arm with respect to
a reference coordinate system, while the
end-effector moves along the prescribed
path .

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS
ENGINEERING 2
ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS
The kinematic analysis involves two
different kinds of problems:
– 1. Determining the coordinates of the end-
effector or end of arm for a given set of joints
coordinates.
– 2. Determining the joints coordinates for a
given location of the end-effector or end of
arm.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 3
ENGINEERING
 ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS

The position, V, of the end-effector can be

defined in the Cartesian coordinate
system, as:

V = (x, y)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 4
ENGINEERING
 ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS

Generally, for robots the location of the end-effector can

be defined in two systems:
a. joint space and
b. world space (also known as global space)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 5
ENGINEERING
 ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS

In joint space, the joint parameters such as rotating or

twisting joint angles and variable link lengths are used to
represent the position of the end-effector.
– Vj = (q, a) for RR robot
– Vj = (L1, , L2) for LL robot
– Vj = (a, L2) for TL robot
where Vj refers to the position of the end-effector in joint
space.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 6
ENGINEERING
 ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS

In world space, rectilinear coordinates with reference to

the basic Cartesian system are used to define the position
of the end-effector.
Usually the origin of the Cartesian axes is located in the
robot's base.
– VW = (x, y)
where VW refers to the position of the end-effector in
world space.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 7
ENGINEERING
 ROBOT MOTION ANALYSIS

• The transformation of coordinates of the end-effector

point from the joint space to the world space is known as
forward kinematic transformation.
• Similarly, the transformation of coordinates from world
space to joint space is known as backward or reverse
kinematic transformation.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 8
ENGINEERING
 Forward Kinematic Transformation
LL Robot:
Let us consider a Cartesian LL robot

y J1(x1, y1) L2 Joints J1 and J2 are linear joints

J2(x2,y2)
with links of variable lengths L1 and
L2. Let joint J1 be denoted by (x1
L3 y1) and joint J2 by (x2, y2).
From geometry, we can easily get
(x, y) the following:
L
1

x2=x1+L2 y2 = y1

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 9
ENGINEERING
Forward Kinematic Transformation
These relations can be represented in homogeneous matrix
form:

x2   1 0 L2   x1
y2   0 1 0    y1
 1  0 0 1   1 

or X2=T1 X1

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 10
ENGINEERING
Forward KinematicTransformation
where

 x2   1 0 L2  x1
X2   y2  T1  0 1 0  X1y1
 1 0 0 1   1
If the end-effector point is denoted by (x, y), then:

x = x2
y = y 2 - L3

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 11
ENGINEERING
Forward Kinematic Transformation
therefore:
 x   1 0 0   x2 
y   0 1 L2   y2 
 1  0 0 1   1 
X = T 2 X2

or TLL = T2 T1
 1 0 L2 
and TLL  0 1 L 
0 0 1 
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 12
ENGINEERING
 Forward Kinematic Transformation
RR Robot:
Let q and a be the rotations at joints J1 and J2
respectively. Let J1 and J2 have the coordinates of (x1, y1)
and (x2, y2), respectively.
J
2
y (x 2 y2 )

L
2
- One can write the following
J1
L
3 from the geometry:
(x y)
(x 1 y1)

L
1 x2 = x1+L2 cos(q)
y2 = y1 +L2 sin(q)
x

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 13
ENGINEERING
Forward Kinematic Transformation
In matrix form:
 x2   1 0 L2 cos() x1
 y2   0 1 L2 sin()   y1
 1  0 0 1   1

or
X2 = T1 X1
On the other end:

x = x2 +L3 cos(a-q)
y = y2 - L3 sin(a-q)
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 14
ENGINEERING
Forward Kinematic Transformation
In matrix form: x  1 0 L2 cos(  )  x2 
y  0 1 L2 sin(  )  y2 
1 0 0 1   1

or
X = T 2 X2

Combining the two equation gives:

X = T2 (T1 X1) = TRR X1

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 15
ENGINEERING
Forward Kinematic Transformation
where
TRR = T2 T1

 1 0 L2 cos()  L2 cos(  )

TRR  0 1 L2 sin()  L2 sin(  ) 
0 0 1 

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 16
ENGINEERING
 Forward Kinematic Transformation
TL Robot:
Let a be the rotation at twisting joint J1 and L2 be the
variable link length at linear joint J2.

z
y
J2 ( x 2 y 2 ) One can write that:
(x y )
L2
x = x2 + L2 cos(a)
J1 ( x 1 y 1 )

y = y2 + L2 sin(a)
x

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 17
ENGINEERING
Forward Kinematic Transformation
In matrix form:

x  1 0 L2 cos()  x2 
y  0 1 L2 sin()    y2 
1 0 0 1   1

or
X = TTL X2

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 18
ENGINEERING
 Backward Kinematic Transformation
LL Robot:
In backward kinematic transformation, the objective is to
drive the variable link lengths from the known position
of the end effector in world space.

x = x1 + L2
y = y1 - L3
y1 = y2

By combining above equations, one can get:

L2 = x - x1
L3 = -y +y2
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 19
ENGINEERING
 Backward Kinematic Transformation

RR Robot:
x = x1 + L2 cos(q) + L3 cos(a-q)
y = y1 + L2 sin(q) - L3 sin(a-q)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 20
ENGINEERING
 Backward Kinematic Transformation
One can easily get the angles:

cos ( ) =
x - x   y  y   L  L 
1
2
1
2 2
2
2
3
2 L 2 L3

and

tan( ) =
y - y1 L2  L3 cos( )   x  x1  L3 sin( )
x - x1 L2  L3 cos( )   y  y1  L3 sin( )

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 21
ENGINEERING
 Backward Kinematic Transformation

TL Robot:
x = x2 + L cos(a)
y = y2 +L sin(a)
One can easily get the equations for length and angle:

L= x - x 2   y  y 2 
2 2

and
y - y2
sin() =
L
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 22
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
An LL robot has two links of variable length.
Assuming that the origin of the global coordinate system is
defined at joint J1, determine the following:

a)The coordinate of the end-effector point if the variable link

lengths are 3m and 5 m.

b) Variable link lengths if the end-effector is located at (3, 5).

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 23
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE

J1(0,0 ) L 2= 3 m
x
J2(x2,y2)

L 3= 5 m

(x, y)
L1

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 24
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
 1 0 L2 
TLL  0 1 L3 
Solution: 0 0 1 
a) It is given that: 1 0 3 
(x1, y1) = (0, 0) TLL  0 1 5
0 0 1 
 x x1
 y  TLLy1
 1  1
Therefore the end-
effector point is  x  1 0 3 0
 y  0 1 50
given by (3, -5).  1 0 0 1  1
 x  3 
 y    5 
 1  1 

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 25
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
b) The end effector point is given by (3, 5)
Then: L2 = x - x1 = 3 - 0 = 3 m
L3 = -y + y1 = -5 + 0 = -5 m
(3, 5)

L3

The variable lengths x

J1(0,0 ) L
2

are 3 m and 5 m. The J2(x2,y2)

minus sign is due to

the coordinate system L
1

used.

y
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 26
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
An RR robot has two links of length 1 m. Assume that the origin of
the global coordinate system is at J1.
a) Determine the coordinate of the end-effector point if the joint
rotations are 30o at both joints.
b) Determine joint rotations if the end-effector is located at (1, 0)

J o
2 =30
y (x 2 y2 )

L =1 m -
2 L 3=1 m
J1 o
= 30 (x y)
(0, 0)

L
1

x
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 27
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
It is given that (x1, y1) = (0, 0)  
1 0 3 1
 2 
TRR  0 1 1  0 
 2 
0 0 1 
 1 0 L2 cos()  L2 cos(  )  
TRR  0 1 L2 sin()  L2 sin(  )   x  x1
0 0 1  y = TRR y1
 1 1
x  1 0 18667
. 0
Therefore the end-effector point y  0 1 0.5 0
is given by (1.8667, 0.5) 1 0 0 1  1
x 18667
. 
y   0.5 
1  0.51 

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 28
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE

J
2
y (x 2 y2 )

L 2= 1 m -
L 3=1 m
J1 (1, 0)
(0, 0)

L1

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 29
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
It is given that (x, y) = (1, 0), therefore,

x 2  y 2  L22  L23
cos( ) =
2 L3 L2

12  0 2  12  12
cos( ) =  0.5
2 x1x1

 = 120 o

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 30
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
tan( ) =
y - y1 L2  L3 cos( )   x  x1  L3 sin( )
x - x1 L2  L3 cos( )    y  y1  L3 sin( )

tan( ) =
0 - 0 1  1x cos(120)   1  0 1 sin(120)
1 - 01  1cos(120)   0  01 sin(120)

3
tan() = 2 = 3
0.5
 = 60o
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 31
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
In a TL robot, assume that the coordinate system is
defined at joints J2.

a) Determine the coordinates of the end-effector point

if joint J1 twist by an angle of 30o and the variable link
has a length of 1 m.

b) Determine variable link length and angle of twist at

J1 if the end-effector is located at (0.7071, 0.7071)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 32
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE

z
J2 ( 0 0) y

(x y )
L 2 =1 m

J1 ( x 1 y 1 )

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 33
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
a) It is given that (x2, y2) = (0, 0); L = 1m and a = 30o

1 0 1 cos(30o )
 
1 0 L2 cos( ) TTL  0 1 1sin( 30o ) 
TTL  0 1 L2 sin( )  0 0 1 
 
0 0 1 

1 0 0.866
TTL  0 1 0.5 
0 0 1 

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 34
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
 x  1 0 0.866 0
 y   0 1 0.5   0
     
 1  0 0 1  1

 x  0.866
 y    0.5 
   
 1   1 

(x, y) = (0.866, 0.5)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 35
ENGINEERING
 EXAMPLE
b)It is given that (x, y) = (0.7071, 0.7071)

L = (x - x1 ) 2  ( y  y1 ) 2

L = (0.7071 - 0) 2  (0.7071  0) 2

L 1m

sin(a) = (y-y2)/L = (0.7071-0)/1 = 0.7071

a = 45o
DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS 36
ENGINEERING