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Programming manual for Meca500 (for firmware 9.2.x)
BASIC THEORy ANd dEfINITIONS
1.1.6 Joint set and robot posture
There are several possible solutions for joint angle values, for a desired location of the robot end-
effector with respect to the robot base (i.e., several possible sets {
θ
1
,
θ
2
,
θ
3
,
θ
4
,
θ
5
,
θ
6
}). The simplest way
to describe how the robot is postured, is by giving its set of joint angles. This set will be referred to as
the
joint set
, and occasionally as
joint position
.
For example, in
, the joint set is {0°, 0°, 0°, 0°, 0°, 0°}, although, it could have been {0°, 0°, 0°, 0°,
0°, 360°}, and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
A joint set completely defines the relative poses (i.e., the "arrangement," of the seven robot links,
starting with the base and ending with the end-effector). This arrangement is called the
robot posture
.
Thus, the joint sets {
θ
1
,
θ
2
,
θ
3
,
θ
4
,
θ
5
,
θ
6
} and {
θ
1
,
θ
2
,
θ
3
,
θ
4
,
θ
5
,
θ
6
+
c
t
360°}, where −180° <
θ
6
≤ 180° and
c
t
is the axis 6 turn configuration, correspond to the same robot posture. Therefore, a joint set has the
same information as a robot posture AND an axis 6 turn configuration.
1.2. Configurations, singularities and workspace
1.2.1 Inverse kinematic solutions and configuration parameters
Meca500's inverse kinematics generally provide up to eight feasible robot postures for a desired pose
of the TRF with respect to the WRF (
), and many more joint sets (since if
θ
6
is a solution, then
θ
6
±
n
360°, where
n
is an integer, is also a solution). Each of these solutions is associated with one of
eight
robot posture configurations
, defined by three parameters:
c
s
,
c
e
and
c
w
. Each of these parameters
corresponds to a specific geometric condition on the robot posture (see
•
c
s
(shoulder configuration parameter):
–
c
s
= 1, if the
wrist center
(where the axes of joints 4, 5 and 6 intersect) is on the "front" side of
the plane passing through the axes of joints 1 and 2 (see
a
). The condition
c
s
= 1 is often
referred to as "front".
–
c
s
= −1, if the wrist center is on the "back" side of this plane (see
c
)
.
•
c
e
(elbow configuration parameter):
–
c
e
= 1, if
θ
3
> −arctan(60/19) ≈ −72.43° ("elbow up" condition, see
)
;
–
c
e
= −1, if
θ
3
< −arctan(60/19) ≈ −72.43° ("elbow down" condition, see
f
).
•
c
w
(wrist configuration parameter):
–
c
w
= 1, if
θ
5
> 0° ("no flip" condition, see
g
);
–
c
w
= −1, if
θ
5
< 0° ("flip" condition, see
).
shows an example all eight possible robot postures, described by the posture configuration
parameters {
c
s
,
c
e
,
c
w
}, for the pose {77 mm, 210 mm, 300 mm, −103°, 36°, 175°} of the
FRF with respect
to the BRF.
shows an example of each robot posture configuration parameter, and limit conditions, which
are called
singularities
. Note that the popular terms front/back and elbow-up/elbow-down are misleading
as they are not relative to the robot base but to specific planes that move when some of the robot joints
rotate.