Mechanisms and Robotics

DE ES DM ZG561
Lecture-1
BITS Pilani Dr. Glynn John S
Pilani Campus Mechanical Engineering Department
Module 1. Fundamentals of
Robot Technology
➢ Introduction
➢ Automation and Robotics
➢ Robotics in Science Fiction
➢ Progressive Advancement
➢ The Robotics trends and the future
prospects
➢ Robot Anatomy
➢ Links, Joints and Joint Notation scheme
➢ Degrees of Freedom (DOF)
➢ Required DOF in a Manipulator
➢ Arm Configuration
➢ Wrist Configuration
➢ The End-Effector (EE)
➢ Human arm characteristics
28 August 2024 DE ZG561, MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS 2
 Introduction to Automation
❖ Mass production assembly lines were
introduced in 1905 by Ford Motor Company.
❖ Specialized machines were designed to
manufacture for high volume production of
mechanical and electrical parts.
❖ When a production cycle ends and new
models of parts are introduced, production
machines have to be shut down and the
hardware retooled.
❖ Since periodic modification of the production
hardware is required, this type of automation
is called Hard Automation.
❖ When programmable mechanical systems are
used to perform manufacturing tasks, new
components can be made just by changing
the program in the machine, This type of
automation is called Soft Automation.

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 Introduction to Automation
• Flexible automation is an extension of
programmable automation.
• The disadvantage with programmable
automation is the time required to
reprogram and change over the production
equipment for each batch of new product.
• This is lost production time, which is
expensive. In flexible automation, the
variety of products is sufficiently limited so
that the changeover of the equipment can
be done very quickly and automatically.
• The reprogramming of the equipment in
flexible automation is done off-line; that is,
the programming is accomplished at a
computer terminal without using the
production equipment itself. Types of flexible automation
systems include multi-purpose CNC
• Flexible automation systems allow for machines and industrial robots.
adjustments to be made for product or
process
28 changes.
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Introduction

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 Use of the word Robot
❖ The word ''robot comes from the
Czech word ''robota'' which means
forced labor.
❖ It was first used in 1921 by the
novelist Karel Capek in his novel
''Rossum‘s Universal Robots".
❖ The fantasy associated with robotics
offered by science fiction movies,
and printed and animated cartoons is
so far from reality that actual
industrial robots seem primitive.
A robot from Karel Capek's novel
Source: INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS PROGRAMMING,
J. Norberto Pires ''Rossum 's Universal Robots
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 Robotics in Science Fiction

Gort from the movie The

Robot in The Terminator
day the earth stood still.
Source: www.jeffbots.com

C-3PO and R2-D2 Robots

from Star wars
Source: www.smithsonianmag.com
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 Industrial Robots

❖Material handling,
❖plasma cutting,
❖spot welding, and
❖ resistance welding The slim design of the Panasonic VR-5
are all done with ease by the six axis AII robot makes it the perfect solution
Panasonic VR-120HII. for compact work areas. This robot
This high performance robot is controlled model is typically outfitted for MIG
by the easy to use Panasonic robot welding or material handling tasks.
controller.
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 Automation and Robotics
❖ Robotics Institute of America defines a robot as a
“reprogrammable multifunctional manipulator designed to move
material, parts or specialized devices through variable
programmable motions for the performance of a variety of tasks”.

❖ A Robot is a software-controllable mechanical device that uses

sensors to guide or more end-effectors through programmed
motions in a workspace in order to manipulate physical objects.

❖ Contrary to popular notions about robots in science fiction

literature, today’s industrial robots are not Androids built to
impersonate humans but most are anthropomorphic in the sense
they are patterned after the human arm.
Industrial Applications

Robots Performing Spray Painting

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Industrial Applications

Robots Performing Arc Welding

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Industrial Applications

Spot Welding Robots

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 Medical Applications
Robotic system called Da Vinci, used for heart surgery, programmed to follow the
surgeon’s hand movements accurately without any tremors.

Medical Robot Robot Performing Surgery

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 Search and Rescue Applications

A robot picking a suitcase from a car

Image Source: https://newatlas.com/
Pacbot – A Robot for military applications
Source: www.army-technology.com

A robot used for disposing

explosive ordnance
https://www.qinetiq.com

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Search and Rescue Applications

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Industrial Robot - History
❖ The Unimate was the very first industrial robot.
❖ Conceived from a design of a mechanical arm patented
in 1954 (granted in 1961) by American inventor George
Devol
❖ The Unimate was developed as a result of the foresight
and business acumen of Joseph Engelberger - the
Father of Robotics.
❖ In 1961 Engelberger established Unimation, Inc.,
company in Danbury, Connecticut, to develop the
business in the newly established robotics industry he
created.

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 Industrial Robot - History

Source: Industrial Robotics by Mikell P. Groover

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 Industrial Robot - History
❖ First industrial Robot produced by Unimation was
installed in General Motors, USA in 1961.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Industrial Robot - History

Unimation also manufactured

Programmable Universal
Machine for Assembly (PUMA
robot).

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Industrial Robot - History
A compact and computer-
controlled robot for
➢ high speed,
➢ close-tolerance assembly,
➢ light materials handling, and
➢ inspection applications.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 Industrial Robot
The Tomorrow Tool (T3 robot) manufactured by Cincinnati
Milacron Inc. (shown in figure).

T3 robot is an articulated six axis robot.

CINCINNATI MILACRON T3-776

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

 The Robotics trends and
the future prospects
❖ Industry 4.0 is a name given to the current trend of
automation and data exchange in manufacturing
technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet
of things, cloud computing and cognitive computing.
Industry 4.0 is commonly referred to as the fourth industrial
revolution

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Progressive Advancement
❖ First Generation Robots
❖ Repeating
❖ Non-servo, Pick and Place
❖ Second Generation Robots
❖ Use of Sensing devices
❖ Response to sensory feedback
❖ Third Generation Robots
❖ Artificial intelligence
❖ Self learning
❖ Conclusion drawing from past experiences
❖ Fourth Generation Robots
❖ May be an android or a biological robot.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

The Robotics trends and
the future prospects
❖ Public Security / Military
❖ Healthcare
❖ Coworkers
❖ Robots at Home
❖ Robots in Education
❖ Entertainment

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

The Robotics trends and the future prospects
❖ Complex mechanical hands with fingers attached to a
robot.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

The Robotics trends and the future prospects

Humanoid robot ASIMO

from Honda
Atlas from Boston Dynamics

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 Coordinate Systems

• Cartesian

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 Coordinate Systems
• Cylindrical

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 Coordinate Systems
• Spherical

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 Robot Anatomy
Arm
❖ Study of the physical construction of Wrist
a Robot.
Shoulde
❖ The Manipulator consists of Rigid r
links and Joints.
❖ A Joint provides relative motion Elbow
between two links.
Manipulator
Wrist

Elbow

Shoulder
or
Hand End Effector Base

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 Mechanism Basics
❖ Mechanisms consist of connected parts with the objective
of transferring motion and force from a power source to an
output.
❖ One part is designated the frame because it serves as the
frame of reference for the motion of all other parts. The
frame is typically a part that exhibits no motion.
❖ Links are the individual parts of the mechanism. They are
considered rigid bodies and are connected with other links
to transmit motion and forces

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 Joints
❖ Links in a mechanism are connected
using joints.
❖ The joints can be of the following
types
❖ Pin Joint
❖ Sliding Joint (Prismatic Joint)

Source: Machines and Mechanisms, Applied Kinematic Analysis (Fourth Edition) – David H. Myszka

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Degrees of Freedom
❖ Degrees of freedom is often used to describe the
number of directions that a robot can pivot or move a
joint.

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani
Degrees of Freedom
❖ Consider an open kinematic chain as shown below.

❖ Link-2 is connected to the ground link-1 by a revolute

joint.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Degrees of Freedom

❖ Thus in an n-DOF robotic manipulator n joints are used and n

independent joint-link variables are required to completely
specify the position and orientation of the each link.

❖ Hence for example in

case of two DOF
manipulator shown in
figure two joint-link
variables are required
to define the position
and orientation of the
end point C.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Degrees of Freedom

❖ Hence link-2 can rotate about joint-1 w.r.t. ground link and
contributes one degree of freedom.

❖ Similarly link-3 can rotate about joint-2 w.r.t. link-2.

❖ Or link-3 has one degree of freedom w.r.t. link-2.

❖ Therefore this open loop chain has as many degrees of

freedom (DOF) as the number of joints in the chain, as each
joint is of one DOF.

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Links, Joints and Joint Notation
Scheme
Types of Robot Joints
Type Notation Symbol Description
Revolute R Rotary motion about an axis

Linear L Linear motion along an axis

(Prismatic)

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Types of Robot Joints

Pin Joint
(Revolute)

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Types of Robot Joints
Prismatic Joint

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Further classification of
revolute Joints

prismatic joint L

rotational joint R

revolving joint V

twisting joint T

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Human Arm Characteristics

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

THANK YOU
The presenter is grateful to the authors of the following textbooks.

Machines and Mechanisms, Applied Kinematic Analysis (Fourth Edition) –

David H. Myszka

Industrial Robotics - Mikell P. Groover

Fundamentals of Robotics – Robert Schilling

28 August 2024 DE ZG561, MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS 44

 Mechanisms and Robotics
DE ES DM ZG561
Lecture - 2
BITS Pilani Dr. Glynn John
Mechanical Engineering
Pilani Campus
Fundamentals of Robot Technology

Robot Anatomy
➢ Arm Configuration
➢ Joint Notation scheme
➢ Degrees of Freedom (DOF)
➢ Required DOF in a Manipulator
➢ Wrist Configuration
➢ Design & Control issues
➢ Manipulation & Control
➢ Robot specifications

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Links, Joints and Joint Notation
Scheme
Types of Robot Joints
Type Notation Symbol Description
Revolute R Rotary motion about an axis

Linear L Linear motion along an axis

(Prismatic)

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Types of Robot Joints

Pin Joint
(Revolute)

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Types of Robot Joints
Prismatic Joint

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Further classification of
revolute Joints

prismatic joint L

rotational joint R

revolving joint V

twisting joint T

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Human Arm Characteristics

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

 Required Degrees of Freedom
• For moving objects placed on a line or a circle → 1 dof
• For moving objects anywhere on a flat surface → 2 dof
• Picking objects anywhere on a 3D space → 3 dof
• Reaching in to complex profiles → > 3 dof

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Arm Configurations

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Arm Configurations

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Joints and Joint Notation Scheme
Types of Robot Joints
Type Notation Symbol Description
Revolute R Rotary motion about an axis

Prismatic P or L Linear motion along an axis

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Arm Configurations

S. Configuration Joints
No.
1. Cartesian (3 Linear joints)
2. Cylindrical (2 Linear joints, 1 Rotary Joint)
3. Polar (Spherical) (1 Linear joint, 2 Rotary joints)
4. Articulated (jointed arm) (3 Rotary Joints)

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 Robot Configurations and Work Envelope
• Cartesian

Work Volume or Work

Envelope is a term that
refers to the space within
which a robot can
manipulate its wrist’s end

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Robot Configurations and Work Envelope
• Cylindrical

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Robot Configurations and Work Envelope
Spherical or Polar

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 Robot Configurations and Work Envelope
Articulated or Jointed Arm Configuration

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 Robot Configurations and Work Envelope
SCARA (Selective compliance assembly robotic arm)
• A variation of the cylindrical configuration, involving
• 1 linear joint and 2 rotary joints

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Guess the configuration

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Guess the configuration

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Guess the configuration

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Guess the configuration

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Guess the configuration

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Wrist Movements

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Degrees of Freedom

❖Degrees of freedom is often used to describe the

number of directions that a robot can pivot or
move a joint.

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Further classification of Joints

prismatic joint L

rotational joint R

revolving joint V

twisting joint T

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Joint Notation Scheme

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Joint Notation Scheme

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Joint Notation Scheme

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Joint Notation Scheme

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Sketch the following arm configurations

For the following arm and body designations describe the

robots using sketches

• LLR
• RLR
• LRR
• LVR
• LL - TRL

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani
DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani
DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani
 Required Degrees of Freedom
• For moving objects placed on a line or a circle → 1 dof
• For moving objects anywhere on a flat surface → 2 dof
• Picking objects anywhere on a 3D space → 3 dof
• Reaching into complex profiles → > 3 dof

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Required Degrees of Freedom

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Required Degrees of Freedom

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Required Degrees of Freedom

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Required Degrees of Freedom

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Required Degrees of Freedom

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Required Degrees of Freedom

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Wrist Configurations
❖ Arm configurations carry and position the wrist, the
second major part of a Manipulator, Wrist is attached to the
end point of the arm

❖ Wrist subassembly enables the manipulator to orient the

end-effector to perform the desired task properly.

❖ The end effector, if gripper, must be oriented at an

appropriate angle to pick and grasp a work piece.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Wrist Configurations
❖ For an arbitrary orientation of wrist in 3-D space, the wrist
must possess at least 3-DOF.

❖ This 3-DOF gives three rotations about the three principal

axes.

❖ Less than 3-DOF wrists are also used depending on the

requirement.

❖ Wrist must be compact and at the same time must not

affect the performance of the arm.
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
Wrist Configurations
Two Axis Wrist (RT) Two Axis Wrist (TR)

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

Wrist Configurations
Three Axis Wrist (TRT)

DE ZG/ES ZG561 Mechanisms and Robotics BITS Pilani

 Wrist Configurations
❖ Wrist with Roll, Pitch and Yaw motions is shown below.

BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

Design and Control Issues
• Robots require higher mobility and
dexterity than conventional
machine tools.
• The mechanical structure of a
robot consists of rigid cantilever
beams connected by hinged
joints.
• This is inherently poor in stiffness,
accuracy and load carrying
capacity.

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 Design and Control Issues
• The errors accumulate
because the joints are in
series.
• The position and motion of
each joint is affected by the
position and motion of other
joints.
• The weight and inertial load
of each link is carried by the
previous link and the links
undergo rotary and linear
motion, making centrifugal
and Coriolis accelerations
significant.

28 August 2024 DE ZG561, MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS 47

THANK YOU
The presenter is grateful to the authors of the following textbooks.

Machines and Mechanisms, Applied Kinematic Analysis (Fourth Edition) –

David H. Myszka

Industrial Robotics - Mikell P. Groover

Fundamentals of Robotics – Robert Schilling

28 August 2024 DE ZG561, MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS 48