ROBOTICS

ROBOTICS

1.0 INTRODUCTION (30 Min)

1.1 The evolution of robots and robotics
1.2 Definition of robots
1.3 Laws of robotics
1.4 Generation of robots
1.5 Types of robots
1.6 Classification of robots
 THE EVOLUTION OF ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS

 NC works on control actions based on stored information that may include

– start and stop operations
– Coordinate points
– Actions
– Logic for branching and
– Control sequences

 A manufacturing system producing a variety of products in small batches,

– without requiring major hardware changes,
– with frequent changes in product models and
– Production schedules,
– Requires flexibility.
 THE EVOLUTION OF ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS

 In the transfer line approach, raw material is automatically transferred from one
machine to another till it is converted to the final product.

 Such approach, producing a large qty of the same product for an extended
period of time, may become useless when a major product change is required
 THE EVOLUTION OF ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS

 Czech writer, Karel Capek, in his drama, introduced the word robot to the world
in 1921.
 Czech word – Robota – Forced Laborer.
 Isaac Asimov – Russian S/f writer – coined the word Robotics in his story
“Runaround”, published in 1942.
 1938 – 39 Jointed mechanical arm for spray painting
 1946  Process controller used as general-purpose playback device for
operating machines
 1952  First NC machine tool
 1954  Patenting of the first manipulator with the basic concept of
teaching/playback
 1960s Recognized by the industry and sparked the formation of several
world-wide centers of research in this area
 THE EVOLUTION OF ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS

 1967-68 New field of robotics received support from simultaneously

developing fields of artificial intelligence (AI), artificial vision and developments
in digital microcomputers, Also, the first legged and wheeled walking machines
using vision and other sensors, were reported

 1970  Servomotors were used in place of hydraulic devices to power the

robots

 1974  First servomotor actuated and microcomputer-controlled robots were

commercially launched

 1976  Same were used by NASA Viking Lander to collect samples from the
surface of Mars
 THE EVOLUTION OF ROBOTS AND ROBOTICS

 1975  Largest world-wide growth of university based laboratories, research

centers, curricula and publications in robotics

 Robotic Institute of America (RIA), Robotic Industries Association (RIA) was

formed as an organization of robot manufacturers and users

 1997 Amalgamation of microcomputers, micro-controllers, sensor

technology, vision technology and artificial intelligence – of all these in the
success of the Mars mission through “Pathfinder” and “Sojourner”

 2000 Robodex 2000 exhibited several varieties of entertainment robots; but

there were no robots which could effectively do the onerous chores of house
cleaning and dishwashing. Such robots are yet to be designed. None of the
varieties exhibited attracted the industry.
 DEFINITION OF ROBOTS
WHAT IS ROBOTICS

 Robotics is the art, knowledge base, and the know-how of designing, applying,
and using robots in human endeavors.

 Robotics is an interdisciplinary subject that benefits from mechanical

engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, biology,
and many other disciplines.
 DEFINITION OF ROBOTS
WHAT IS A ROBOT
A robot is a re-programmable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move
material, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for
the performance of a variety of tasks.

WHY ROBOTS
 Automation to Robotization
- To Increase Productivity
- To deliver uniform Quality

WHERE IT IS USED
 Atomic plant for handling radioactive materials
 To construct and repair space stations and satellites
 In nursing and aiding patients
 Micro robots are designed to damage control inside human veins
 Heavy earth-moving equipment
 LAWS ROBOTICS
LAW-1

A robot should not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human to be
harmed.

LAW-II
AA robot
robot must
must obey
obey orders
orders given
given by
by humans
humans except
except when
when that
that conflicts
conflicts with
with the
the First
First Law.
Law.

LAW-III

A robot must protect its own existence unless that conflicts with the First or Second
Law
 GENERATION OF ROBOTS
FIRST GENERATION

 The First Generation robots are repeating, non-servo, pick-and-place, or

point-to-point kind.

 The technology for these is fully developed and at present about 80% robots
in use in the industry are of this kind.

 It is predicted that these will continue to be in use for a long time.

 GENERATION OF ROBOTS
SECOND GENERATION

 The addition of sensing devices and enabling the robot to alter its
movements in response to sensory feedback marked the beginning of
second generation.

 These robots exhibit path-control capabilities.

 This technological breakthrough came around 1980s

 GENERATION OF ROBOTS
THIRD GENERATION

 The 3rd generation is marked with robots having human-like intelligence.

 The growth in computers led to high-speed processing of information and,

thus, robots also required AI, self-learning and conclusion-drawing
capabilities by past experiences.

 On-line computations and control, artificial vision and active force/torque

interaction with the environment are significant characteristics of these
robots.

 This technology is still in infancy and has to go a long way.

 GENERATION OF ROBOTS
FOURTH GENERATION

 It may be a true android or artificial biological robot or a super humanoid

capable of producing its own clones.

 This might provide for fifth and higher generation robots.

 TYPES OF ROBOTS
BASED ON LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION

– 1st generation
- Programmable robots

– 2nd generation
- Robots with environment understanding capabilities

– 3rd generation
- Robots with intelligence

– 4th generation
- Robots with Artificial intelligence to produce
its own clones
 CLASSIFICATION OF ROBOTS
ROBOT BASED ON CONTROL

 Non servo
 Servo controlled
– Point To Point (PTP)
– Continuous Path (CP)

ROBOT BASED ON MANIPULATIVE FUNCTION

 Pick and place robots

 Special purpose robots
 Universal robots
2.0 ROBOT ANATOMY (1 Hr)
2.1 Introduction about robot anatomy
2.2 Links & joints
2.3 Types of joints
2.4 Degree of freedom (DOF)
2.5 Robot arm and its classification
2.6 Work place, work volume and work envelope
2.7 Wrist and movements
 INTRODUCTION ABOUT ROBOT ANATOMY

 Manipulator / robotic arm has many similarities to the human body.

 ROBOT ANATOMY is the study of skeleton of robot, that is, physical

construction of the manipulator structure
 INTRODUCTION ABOUT ROBOT ANATOMY

 Manipulator consists of joints and links

– Joints provide relative motion

– Links are rigid members between joints
– Various joint types: linear and rotary
– Each joint provides a “degree-of-freedom”
– Most robots possess five or six degrees-of-freedom

 Robot manipulator consists of two sections

– Body-and-arm – for positioning of objects in the robot's work volume

– Wrist assembly – for orientation of objects
 LINKS & JOINTS

The mechanical structure of a manipulator that consists of rigid bodies

(links) connected by means of articulations (joints), is segmented into an arm
that ensures mobility and reachability, a wrist that confers orientation, and
an end-effector that performs the required task.
Two links are connected together by a joint. Many types of joints can be
made between two links. In those, two main basic types are commonly used
in industrial robots are,

 REVOLUTE
 PRISMATIC
 TYPES OF JOINTS
REVOLUTE JOINT

The two links are jointed by a pin (pivot) about the axis of which the links can
rotate with respect to each other.

PRISMATIC JOINT

 The two links are so jointed that these can slide (linearly move) with respect to
each other.

 Screw and nut (slow linear motion of the nut), rack and pinion are ways to
implement prismatic joints.

 A rotary joint allows a pure rotation of one link relative to the connecting link and
prismatic joint allows a pure translation of one link relative to the connecting link.
 TYPES OF JOINTS

 TRANSLATIONAL MOTION
– Linear joint (type L)
– Orthogonal joint (type O)

 ROTARY MOTION
– Rotational joint (type R)
– Twisting joint (type T)
– Revolving joint (type V)
 TYPES OF JOINTS
JOINT NOTATION SCHEME

 Uses the joint symbols (L, O, R, T, V) to designate joint types used to construct
robot manipulator

 Separates body-and-arm assembly from wrist assembly using a colon (:)

 Example: TLR : TR

 Common body-and-arm configurations …

 TYPES OF JOINTS
OTHER TYPES

 PLANAR
one surface sliding over another surface

 CYLINDRICAL
one link rotates about the other at 90º angle

 SPHERICAL
one link can move w.r.t the other in 3D
 SCARA ROBOT

 SCARA Robot (Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm )

 Highly rigid along the vertical direction

Vertical major axis rotations such that gravitational load and centrifugal
forces do not stress the structure as much as they would if the axes were
horizontal.

 Notation VRO

 Advantage
-High speeds
-High precision
 ROBOT ARM AND ITS CLASSIFICATION

 The mechanics of the arm with 3-DOF depends on the type of three joints
employed and their arrangement.

 The purpose of the arm is to position the wrist in the 3-D space and the arm has
following characteristics requirements.
- Links are long enough to provide for maximum reach in the space.
- The design is mechanically robust because the arm has to bear not only
the load of work piece but also has to carry the wrist and the end-effector.

 The arm is used for positioning the end-effector in space and, hence, the three
positional DOF are provided to the arm.

 The remaining 3-DOF are provided in the wrist, whose task is to orient the end-
effector.
 ROBOT ARM AND ITS CLASSIFICATION

I. Cartesian (rectangular) configuration – all three P joints

II. Cylindrical configuration – one R and two P joints
III. Polar (Spherical) configuration – two R and one P joint
IV. Articulated (Revolute or Jointed-arm) configuration – all three R joints
V. SCARA Configuration
ROBOT ARM AND ITS CLASSIFICATION
 WORKSPACE

 The end point of the arm is capable of operating in a cubical space, called
workspace.

 The workspace represents the portion of space around the base of the
manipulator that can be assessed by the arm endpoint.

 The shape and size of the workspace depends on the arm configuration,
structure, DOF, size of links and design of joints.
 WORK VOLUME & WORK ENVELOPE
WORK VOLUME

The volume of the space swept is called work volume.

WORK ENVELOPE

The surface of the workspace describes the work envelope.

 WRIST AND ITS MOVEMENTS

 Wrist assembly is attached to end-of-arm

 End effectors is attached to wrist assembly
 Function of wrist assembly is to orient end effectors
-Body-and-arm determines global position of end effectors
 Fewer than 3-DOF may be used in a wrist, depending on requirements.
 The wrist has to be compact and it must not diminish (make smaller or less)
the performance of the arm.
 WRIST AND ITS MOVEMENTS

 The wrist requires only rotary joints for orientation.

 3-DOF wrist permitting rotation about three perpendicular axes provides

for

-Roll (motion in a plane perpendicular to the end of the arm),

-Pitch (motion in vertical plane passing through the arm)
-Yaw (motion in a horizontal plane that also passes through the arm.

 This type of wrist is called roll-pitch-yaw or RPY wrist.

WRIST AND ITS MOVEMENTS
WRIST AND ITS MOVEMENTS
3.0 END EFFECTORS (15 Min)
3.1 Definition for robot end effectors
3.2 Classification of end effectors
 DEFINITION FOR ROBOT END EFFECTORS

An end effector is a device that attaches to the wrist of the robot arm
and enables the general-purpose robot to perform a specific task.
It is sometimes referred to as the robot’s “hand”.
OR

The special tooling for a robot that enables it to perform a specific

task

 Two types

– Grippers – to grasp and manipulate objects (e.g., parts) during work

cycle
– Tools – to perform a process, e.g., spot welding, spray painting
 CLASSIFICATION OF END EFFECTORS
1. Grippers

 Depends on no. Of gripper for best applies mechanically

-Single gripper
-Multi gripper
-Double gripper

 Depends on whether the part is grasped on its exterior surface or

internal surface

-External gripper
-Internal gripper

2. Tools
 CLASSIFICATION OF END EFFECTORS
 Grippers are end effectors used to grasp and hold objects.
 The objects are generally work parts that are to be moved by the robot.
 These part-handling applications include machine loading, picking parts
from a conveyor, and arranging parts onto a pallet.
 In addition to the work parts, other objects handled by robot grippers
include cartons, bottles, raw materials, and tools.
 CLASSIFICATION OF END EFFECTORS
TYPES OF GRIPPERS

 Mechanical gripper
 Vacuum cups
 Magnetic grippers
 Adhesive grippers
CLASSIFICATION OF END EFFECTORS

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CLASSIFICATION OF END EFFECTORS
 CLASSIFICATION OF END EFFECTORS

4.0 GENERAL STRUCTURE OF ROBOTS AND SPECIFICATION (45 Min)

4.1 General structure of a normal robot
4.2 Structure of an advanced robot
4.3 Functional parameters
4.4 Specification of robots
4.5 Performance characteristics
GENERAL STRUCTURE OF A NORMAL ROBOT

TASK

CONTROL

INTERNALLY OPERATIONAL
CPU UNIT
SENSED
INFORMATION

WORK
SPACE
STRUCTURE OF AN ADVANCED ROBOT
INFORMATION ABOUT TASK ENERGY
TO BE PERFORMED
CONTROL
A M S

INTERNAL
SENSORS
CONTROLLED
TRANSMISSION
ALGORITHM
COMPUTER INTERNALLY
TASK ACTUATORS
SENSED
MODEL OF INFORMATION
ENVIRONMENT
MODEL OF ROBOT INTERACTION

EXTERNALLY SENSED INFORMATION

EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENT
SENSORS
 FUNCTIONAL PARAMETERS
IMPORTANT PARAMETERS ARE:
 Axes of motion.
 Arm movement.
 Wrist movement.
 End of arm speed.
 Weight carrying capacity.
 Control.
 Memory - that have been programmed in and, through the controller
tells the robot what to do and when.
 Programming methods.
 Positioning accuracy and repeatability.
 End of arm tooling.
 Interfacing.
 Max. Ambient operating temperature.
 SPECIFICATION OF ROBOTS
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

MECHANICAL
 Robot configuration
 Number of axes of movement
 Floor space required for mounting
 Weight
 Physical dimensions
 Physical details
POWER
 Power drive system
 Power/services requirements
CONTROL
 Programming method
 Type of control system
 External sensors supported
 Program backing storage device
 Memory size
 PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIFIC
 Accuracy
 Repeatability
 Resolution
 Velocity range
 Operating cycle time
 Load-carrying capacity

NON-SPECIFIC
 Life expectancy
 Reliability
 Maintainability
 Mean time between failures (MTBF)
 Mean time to repair (MTTR)
 PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

5.0 MANIPULATOR KINEMATICS (15 Min)

5.1 Introduction about kinematics
5.2 Link description
 INTRODUCTION ABOUT KINEMATICS
KINEMATICS
Kinematics is the science of motion that treats the subject without
regard to the forces that cause it. Within the science of kinematics
6.0 INVERSE KINEMATICS (15 Min)
6.1 Introduction about inverse kinematics
6.2 Manipulator work space
6.3 Dexterous work space & reachable work space
 INTRODUCTION ABOUT INVERSE
KINEMATICS
The determination of all possible and feasible sets of joint variables, which
would achieve the specified position and orientation of the manipulator’s
end-effector with respect to the base frame
 MANIPULATOR WORK SPACE

 It is defined as the volume of space in which the manipulator is able to

locate its end-effector.
 The workspace gets specified by the existence or nonexistence of
solutions to the inverse problem.
 DEXTEROUS WORKSPACE & REACHABLE WORKSPACE

DEXTEROUS WORKSPACE
Dexterous workspace is that volume of space which the robot end
effectors can reach with at least one orientations.

REACHABLE WORKSPACE
Reachable workspace is that volume of space which the robot can
reach in at least one orientation.
7.0 ROBOTIC VISION SYSTEM (1 Hr)
7.1 Definition of sensing
7.2 Sensors used in robots
7.3 Robotic sensor classification
7.4 Miscellaneous sensors
7.5 Definition and concept of robotic vision
7.6 Factors required for robot vision
 DEFINITION OF SENSING
 Collect information about the world
 Sensor - an electrical/mechanical/chemical device that maps an
environmental attribute to a quantitative measurement
 Each sensor is based on a transduction principle - conversion of energy from
one form to another
SENSORS USED IN ROBOTS
 SENSORS USED IN ROBOTS
 Resistive sensors
-bend sensors, potentiometer, resistive photocells, ...
 Tactile sensors
-contact switch, bumpers…
 Infrared sensors
-Reflective, proximity, distance sensors…
 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor
 Inertial Sensors (measure the second derivatives of position)
-Accelerometer, Gyroscopes,
 Orientation Sensors
-Compass, Inclinometer
 Laser range sensors
 Vision
 Global Positioning System
 ROBOT SENSOR CLASSIFICATION
INTERNAL STATE SENSORS
Device being used to measure the position, velocity and acceleration of
the robot joint and/or end-effector. These devices are potentiometer tachometers,
synchros, resolvers, differential transformers, optical interrupters, optical encoders
and accelerometer.

EXTERNAL STATE SENSORS

Device being used to monitor the relationship between the robot
kinematics and/or dynamics with its task, surrounding, or the object being
manipulated.
 MISCELLANEOUS SENSORS
There are several type of sensor that can be used to determine the
position of robot joints like potentiometer, optical encoder, Linear Variable
Differential Transformer (LVDT) Force & Torque Sensors.

POTENTIOMETER
Potentiometer transducers can be used to measure both linear and
Angular displacement.
 MISCELLANEOUS SENSORS
LDVT
LDVT is a robust and precise device which produce a voltage output
proportional to the displacement of a ferrous armature for measurement of robot
joints or end-effectors. It is much expensive but outperforms the potentiometer
transducer.
 MISCELLANEOUS SENSORS
FORCE & TORQUE SENSORS
Force transducers are often based on displacement principles. There
various type force and torque transducer available commercially
 INERTIAL SENSORS
 GYROSCOPES
– Measure the rate of rotation independent of the coordinate frame
– Common applications:
 Heading sensors, Full Inertial Navigation systems (INS)

 ACCELEROMETERS
– Measure accelerations with respect to an inertial frame
– Common applications:
 Tilt sensor in static applications, Vibration Analysis, Full INS Systems
 DEFINITION AND CONCEPT OF ROBOTIC
VISION

Robot vision may be defined as the process of extracting, characterizing,

and interpreting information from images of a three-dimensional world. This
process, also known as machine or computer vision may be subdivided into six
principle areas. These are:

I. Sensing
II. Preprocessing
III. Segmentation
IV. Description
V. Recognition
VI. Interpretation
8.1 ROBOT SOFTWARE AND PROGRAMMING (1 Hr)
8.1 Robot soft ware and features
8.2 Industrial robots programming methods
8.3 Robotic programming languages
8.4 Control function of a teach box
 ROBOT SOFT WARE AND FEATURES

 It is the collection of computer programs and related information that is

developed, marketed, manufactured and sustained for industrial robots.
 It involves computer-aided design of kinematic linkages, local area networks,
MAP, business software, integration of sub-systems of FMS etc.
ROBOT SOFT WARE AND FEATURES
 ROBOT SOFT WARE AND FEATURES
SUPERVISORY CONTROL:
Overall control and co-ordination of the robot system.

1. Task generation and management:

It is the collection of tools supplied for creating, debugging and managing
the procedures and data associated with each robot task.

2. Task Interpreter:
It controls the step-by-step execution of the robot task and is responsible
for fetching, analyzing and initiating each step that is performed.

3. Arm motion control:

The real time control software that moves the arm as dictated by the task
interpreter.
 ROBOT SOFT WARE AND FEATURES
4. Communication:
It links all the other software elements with operator interface
devices, with associated shop floor equipment and when utilized, with
external supervisory computers.

5. Error reporting and diagnostics:

It is an essential, element in any robot software system. Its purpose is
to ensure that the system is ready to operate and if not, to identify
where problems exist. Monitoring software runs constantly when the
machine is running to detect operating errors and stop arm motion in
dangerous situations.
 DEFINITION AND CONCEPT OF ROBOTIC
VISION

1. Sensing : the process that yields visual image

2. Preprocessing : deals with techniques such as noise reduction and

enhancement of details

3. Segmentation : the process that partitions an image into objects of

interest

4. Description: deals with that computation of features for example size or

shape, suitable for differentiating one type of objects from another.

5. Recognition: the process that identifies these objects (for example

wrench, bolt, engine block, etc.)

6. Interpretation: assigns meaning to an ensemble of recognized objects.

 FACTORS REQUIRED FOR ROBOT VISION

The essentials of success in robotic vision include,

 Reliable operation
 Simplicity
 Fast image processing
 Ease of scene illumination

A ROBOTIC VISION SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE FOLLOWING WITH EASE

 Display what it sees in the real screen or monitor.
 Capture the image it sees in the real time
 Gives the statistical information about what it sees( Pixel counts, location,
no. of objects etc)
 Filter noise from the information about the picture
 Relate the information seen to real world coordinates that the robot can
respond to.
 INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS PROGRAMMING METHODS

IN GENERAL THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PROBLEMS.

 SPECIFICATION OF POSITIONS:
A robot is used to position a part or tool by moving it from one position
to another. Therefore, the programming is concerned with defining of a
sequence of positions or trajectories through which the robot must pass
during the execution of its task. Robots should not collide with any other
object.

 DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES:

The positioning of object or the actions of robots can not be exact.
Both are limited by dimensional tolerances. These type of uncertainties
can be reduced by using sensors.
 INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS PROGRAMMING METHODS

INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS ARE USUALLY PROGRAMMED BY:

1. MANUAL TEACHING:
 Is most frequently used in point-to-point robotic systems.
 Teaching is done by moving each axis of the robot manually, until the
combination of all axial motions yields the desired position of the robot.
 The commands of these axial motions are given by the operator.
 When the desired position is reached, the operator stores the
coordinates of the point in the computer memory.
 This process is repeated for each requires point.
 INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS PROGRAMMING METHODS

2. LEAD THROUGH TEACHING:

 It requires the programmer to physical manipulate the robot mechanism

through the desired motions, by means of a remote teach box.

 These points are recorded and used to generate the robot trajectory
during operation.

 This type of programming is popular for spray painting robots, which

require complex, dynamic changes in robot motion and velocity.
 INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS PROGRAMMING METHODS

3. WALK THROUGH TEACHING

 Here the robot arm is physically manipulated through the desired motions
(which are recorded and then played back by the robot control during
operation).

 It is commonly used to program the current generation of industrial

robots.
 INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS PROGRAMMING METHODS

4. OFFLINE PROGRAMMING

 It is a new technology for robots and will be required in the factory of the future.

 This type of programming provides the ability to create or modify a robot

program without interrupting the robots activities.

 Offline programming is the process by which robot programs are developed

without requiring the use of robot itself.

 It includes generating point coordinate data, function data and cycle logic.
 ROBOTIC PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

 ARL (Assembly Robot Language)

 HARL (Hitachi Assembly Robot Language)
 AL (Arm Language)
 VAL (Vic Arm Language)
 AML (A Manufacturing Language)
 IRL (Intuitive Robot Language)
 LM (Language de Manipulation)
 MCL
 PLAW (Programming Language for Arc Welding)
 ROL (Robot Language)
 SIGLA (Sigma Language)
 CONTROL FUN OF A TEACH BOX
There are 18 different commands that can be given by means of

teach box.

 MODE AND STOP: Stop the robot and set it to control mode.

 TRAIN: In train mode, the joint control keys etc. can be used to manipulate

the robot and record positions.

 RUN: To run a program.

 PAUSE: To have a pause.

 SPEED: Allows the speed of arm to be changed.

 STEP: Useful to move the robot through the program one-step at a time.

 JUMP: Allows sophisticated robot programs to be written.

 POINT: Similar to unconditional JUMP.

 CONTROL FUN OF A TEACH BOX
 CLEAR: To clear all recorded robot positions and operations from program memory.

 GRIP: Cause the gripper to close.

 MOVE: Activates the joint control.

 OUT: Used to turn output signals on and off based on arm position.

 HOME: To initialize the robot to a known position.

 AUX: Get a robot to aux mode, to activate the free and zero functions.

 FREE: Turns off all motor currents and allows the robot to be positioned manually.

 ZERO: Allows setting the position register to zero.

 REC: Recording Accelerated Moves: Records a controlled acceleration move step.

 Recording Non-Accelerated Moves: To record a non-accelerated move step.

 CONTROL FUN OF A TEACH BOX
9.0 ROBOTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ASPECTS (1 Hr)
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Technologies that go to make a robot
9.3 Robot characteristics
9.4 Informational requirements
9.5 Overall design & mechanical design
9.6 Task related design
9.7 Design of robotic arm
9.8 Robot components
9.9 Advantages and disadvantages of robots
 INTRODUCTION
 Gradually taking over the bulk of manufacturing loads from the
conventional methods.
 Early robots were designed with general motion capability under the
assumption that they could find the larger market if they are versatile. This
flexibility proved to be expensive both in performance and cost.
 Today, instead of designing robots with general motion capabilities they are
being designed with a specific tasks in mind.
 Overall size, no. of degrees of freedom, type of motion requirements, basic
configuration etc. are determined from type and specifications of the task.
 Therefore, a robot should be designed to have only the flexibility it needs to
perform the range of tasks for which it is intended.
 TECHNOLOGIES THAT GO TO MAKE A
ROBOT
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
• Design of the mechanism. Understanding of the kinematics and
dynamics of the system.
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
• Design of the actuator and sensor systems.
SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
• Analysis and integration of the overall system. Signal conditioning and
Control.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
• Design of the logic, intelligence or adaptability, networking and interface.
 ROBOT CHARACTERISTICS
The following definition are used to characterized robot specification
i. Payload
ii. Reach
iii. Precession
iv. Repeatability
 ROBOT CHARACTERISTICS
PAYLOAD
 Payload is the weight a robot can carry and still remain within its other
specifications
 E.g. A robot maximum load capacity may be much larger than its specified
payload, but at maximum level it may become less accurate, may not follow its
intended path accurately, or may have excessive deflections.
REACH
Maximum distance a robot can reach within its work envelope.
PRECISION
 Defined as how accurately a specified point can be reached.
 Most industrial robot can have precision of 0.001 inch or better
 ROBOT CHARACTERISTICS
REPEATABILITY
 Repeatability is how accurate the same position can be reached of the motion
repeated many times.
 Repeatability is more important than precision
 If a robot is not precise, it will generally show a consistent error, which can be
predicted and thus corrected using programming.
 If the error is random, it cannot be predicted and thus cannot be eliminated.
 Most industrial robots have repeatability in the 0.001 inch range
 INFORMATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
 Number and weight of the work pieces to be handled.
 Required movements in the working space.
 Required working range (considering peripheral units like vibratory hoppers etc.).
 Required positioning accuracy.
 Changeover frequency of the production system.
 Sensor function for recognition and quality control.
 Gripper and tool operations.
 Kind of machining functions (e.g. drilling, turning).
 Careful examination of the production technology.
 In addition to this the following performance specifications may be established:
 The kind of motions and kinematic chain.
 Geometrical dimensions.
 Velocities and accelerations.
 Drive system and control.
 Positioning accuracy.
 OVERALL DESIGN
 GEOMETRICAL DEXTERITY
 It describes the ability of a robot to achieve a wide range of
operations of the hand with the tool centre point (TCP) in a
specified position.
 KINEMATIC CHAIN AND ITS SUITABILITY
 As the no. of axes is increased, positioning accuracy decreases.
 As the no. of axes is increased, the computing time for continuous
path control increases considerably.
 Every additional axis produces additional cost e.g. brake, motor,
measuring system, memory, control of the drive, power train.
 As the no. of axes increases, power transmission becomes more
difficult.
 FORCES AND MOMENTS ON THE ROBOT STRUCTURE
 OVERALL DESIGN
 SELECTION OF THE DRIVE SYSTEM
– Pneumatic drive system,
– Hydraulic drive system, and
– Electric drive system.

 SELECTION OF POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

– Gear and Shaft drives,
– Chain drives,
– Rope drives, and
– Flexire shaft drives.
 OVERALL DESIGN
 SELECTION OF PATH MEASURING SYSTEM
– Translatory – Potentiometer, ultrasound.
– Rotary – resolver, absolute optical encoder and incremental encoder.

 BEARINGS AND COUPLINGS

 SELECTION OF MATERIALS
– Base
– Links
– Link Joints
– Gears
– Pumps, Compressors and Cylinders
– Shafts
– Bearings
– Bushes
– Coverings
– Bolts, Nuts and Screws
 MECHANICAL DESIGN
 Manufacturability (production cost and ease of assembly).
 Ease of installation.
 Ease of modification or reconfiguration to adapt the robot to specific
tasks.
 Ease of adjustment and calibration.
 Ease of maintenance.
 Ease of diagnosis and repair.
 Availability of spare and replacement parts.
 Compatibility with equipment from other vendors.
 Provisions for safe robot behavior in the event of component
malfunctions.
 Likelihood that the robot will damage or destroy itself, as a result of faulty
electronic hardware or software.
 TASK RELATED DESIGN
(a) SPRAY PAINTING
 In most of the cases, the work piece surface is complicated and the
operation of painting must be carried out at a certain angle to the
surface. It requires high degree of mobility of the kinematic chain.
 Errors in the path especially in corners lead to overlaps, namely in
the thickness of the paint layer. If there are large variations in
velocities this type of error may also occur.
 Conveyor tracking may be required.
 As the robot is usually programmed by manual tracing of the
designed path, a low guiding power is needed within the whole
working space.
 TASK RELATED DESIGN
b) SPOT WELDING:
 High accelerations and decelerations.
 Because of collision problems, often long and tall forearm are
required.
 It is difficult to run the power supply to the working tool and may be
considered suitably.
 Extreme reliability of the components is desirable.
 Operation is usually performed with high loads in large working
space.
 Mechanical mobility is needed.
 TASK RELATED DESIGN
(c) ARC WELDING:
 High accelerations and decelerations.
 Because of collision problems, often long and tall forearm are
required.
 It is difficult to run the power supply to the working tool and may be
considered suitably.
 Extreme reliability of the components is desirable.
 Operation is usually performed with high loads in large working
space.
 Mechanical mobility is needed.
 TASK RELATED DESIGN
WORK PIECE HANDLING:

 Handling on process:
– Very short cycle times.
– Special design, often Cartesian co-ordinate robot.
– Conditions of installation and accessibility are to be considered in particular.

 Handling of forging processes:

– High speed and heavy work pieces.
– Robot must be resistant to dirt and heat.
– Floor installation recommended.
 TASK RELATED DESIGN
 Handling on die casting and injection molding machine:
– Often gantry or console type installation.
– Cycle time with injection molding are shorter than with die casting
machines.
– Very often simple movements lead to a simple programming language.
Changeover frequency is low.
– High positioning accuracy.
– Insensitive to heat and dirt.

 Handling of machine tools:

– High positioning accuracy, short cycle times and also quite often heavy work
pieces.
– Simple programming language owing to simple movements.
 DESIGN OF ROBOTIC ARM
 The arm tooling is the special purpose tooling which enables the robot to perform
a particular job. In the terminology or robotics, an arm tooling can be defined as a
device, which is attached to the robot’s wrist to perform a specific task. The task
might be spot welding, spray painting, etc.
 Design for quick removal or interchange of tooling by requiring a small no. of
service tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.) to be used. For example, use the
same fastener wherever possible.
 Provide locating dowels, key slots or scribe lines for quick interchange, accuracy,
registration and alignment.
 Break all sharp corners to protect hoses and lines from rubbing and cutting and
maintenance of personnel from possible injury.
 Allow for full flexure of lines and hoses to extremes of axes of motion.
 Use lightweight materials wherever possible or put lightening holes where
appropriate to reduce weight.
 Hard coat, lightweight materials for wear considerations.
 ROBOT COMPONENTS
 The arm tooling is the special purpose tooling which enables the robot to perform
a particular job. In the terminology or robotics, an arm tooling can be defined as a
device, which is attached to the robot’s wrist to perform a specific task. The task
might be spot welding, spray painting, etc.
 Design for quick removal or interchange of tooling by requiring a small no. of
service tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.) to be used. For example, use the
same fastener wherever possible.
 Provide locating dowels, key slots or scribe lines for quick interchange, accuracy,
registration and alignment.
 Break all sharp corners to protect hoses and lines from rubbing and cutting and
maintenance of personnel from possible injury.
 Allow for full flexure of lines and hoses to extremes of axes of motion.
 Use lightweight materials wherever possible or put lightening holes where
appropriate to reduce weight.
 Hard coat, lightweight materials for wear considerations.
 SELECTION
The following factors are considered whether a robot is the right choice
on a particular job:
(a) Complexity of the operation – Avoid extremes of complexity
(b) Degree of disorder – Disorder is deadly.
(c) Production rate – Robots are generally no faster than people. For every
long runs, use fixed automation
(d) Justification – If it does not make rupees, it does not make senses.
(e) Long-term potential – If I only need one, I am better off with none.
(f) Acceptance – If people don’t want it, it won’t make it.