PUMA 560

The Unimation PUMA 560: 6 DoF, 6R mechanism

PUMA = Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly

Frame {0} is coincident with frame {1} when θ1 is zero.

Kinematic parameters and frame assignments for the forearm

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The joint axes 4,5, and 6 of
joints 4,5, and 6 are all intersect
at a common point which is the
origin of frames {4}, {5}, and
{6}.

The joint axes 4, 5, and 6 are

mutually orthogonal.

The corresponding link parameters and link transformations

are shown below.

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Because joints 2 and 3 are always parallel, multiply
1 2
2T and 3T first and then applying sum-of-angle formulas
will yield a simpler final expression as shown,

Where,

This can be done whenever two rotational joints have

parallel axes.

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Then we have,

Where,

Finally, we obtain the product of all six link transforms:

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These constitute the kinematics of the PUMA 560 robot
and specify how to compute the position and orientation of
frame {6} relative to frame {0}.

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Given the position and orientation of the
end-effector,

Find the corresponding joint variables.

It is more complex than the direct kinematics.

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Solvability

1. The equations to solve are non-linear Æ A

closed form cannot always be found

2. Multiple solution may exist (redundant

manipulator)

Elbow up

r
P
Elbow down

For 6 DoF arm, there are 12 equations and 6

unknowns.
Among 9 rotation equations of the
transformation matrix, only 3 are independent.

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With 3 position-vector equations, these form 6
independent, non-linear, and transcendental
equations with 6 unknowns.

Existence of solutions, multiple solutions, and

the method of solution have to be considered.

To solve the inverse kinematics we need;

a) algebraic intuition to find out the

significant equations containing the
unknowns

b) Geometric intuitions

c) Use numerical methods Å trial and error

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Existence of Solutions
Let’s understand the manipulator’s workspace.

For a solution to exist, the specified goal point must lie

within the workspace.

Workspace: the volume of space that the end-effector of

the manipulator can reach.

a) Dextrous workspace:
Volume of space that the robot end-effector can
reach with all orientations.
The end-effector can be arbitratily oriented.

b) Reachable workspace:
Volume of space that the robot can reach in at least
one orientation.

The dextrous workspace is a subset of the reachable

workspace.

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If l1 = l2, reachable workspace = a disk of radius 2l1

dextrous workspace = a single point, the origin.

If l1 ≠ l2, reachable workspace = a ring of outer radius l1+l2

and inner radius | l1 - l2|

Inside the reachable workspace there are two

possible orientations of the end-effector.
On the boundaries of the workspace there is only
one possible orientation.

dextrous workspace = none.

The above example is with the assumption of 360 turning

revolute joints.

Manipulator with fewer than 6 DOF cannot attain general

goal positions and orientations in 3D space.

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Multiple Solutions

The fact that a manipulator has multiple solutions can cause

problems, since the system has to be able to choose one.

Closest solution criterion

A solution that minimizes the amount that each joint is

required to move.

Other considerations; weight, existence of obstacles, etc.

Æ We need to be able to calculate all the possible
solutions.

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The number of joints in the manipulators, link parameters
and ranges of motion of joints affects the number of
solutions.

Ex) PUMA 560 robot

z can reach certain goals with eight different solutions

The more nonzero link parameters there are, the more ways
there will be to reach a certain goal.

Above table exemplifies the more nonzero link length

parameters, the bigger is the maximum number of
solutions.

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Method of Solution
A manipulator will be considered solvable if the joint
variables can be determined by an algorithm that allows
one to determine all the sets of joint variables associated
with a given position and orientation.

Closed-form solutions vs. Numerical solutions

Numerical Solutions: iterative Æ much slower than the

corresponding closed-form solution.
Not desirable for the solution of kinematics.

Closed-form solutions:
Closed form; a solution method based on analytic
expressions or on the solution of a polynomial of degree 4
or less, such that noniterative calculations suffice to arrive
at a solution.
There are algebraic and geometric methods. The two
methods are similar. They differ in approach only.

Calculating numerical solutions is generally time

consuming relative to evaluating analytic expressions;
hence, it is considered very important to design a
manipulator so that a closed-form solution exists.

A sufficient condition that a manipulator with six revolute

joints have a closed-form solution is that three
neighbouring joint axes intersect at a point.

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Algebraic Solution

Consider the three-link planar manipulator shown below,

Following the direct kinematics using the link parameters,

the kinematic equation is,

The goal point is specified as,

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By equating the above two equations, we have a set of four
nonlinear equations that must be solved for θ1, θ2, and θ3;

Squaring expressions of x and y,

where,

We obtain,

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In order for a solution to exist, the right-hand side of the
equation must have a value between -1 and 1.

Assuming the goal is in the workspace,

The choice of signs corresponds to the multiple solutions in

which we can choose the “elbow-up” or the “elbow-down”
solution.

Then,

Having found θ2, rewriting equations for x and y,

where,

In order to solve an equation of this form, we perform a

change of variables.

If

and

then

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Then the equations for x and y can be written as;

so

Using the two-argument arctangent,

and so

Finally, we can solve for the sum of θ1 through θ3;

From this equation, we can solve for θ3, since we know the
first two angles.

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Geometric Solution

In a geometric approach, try to decompose the spatial

geometry of the arm into several plane-geometry problems.
For many manipulators (particularly when the αi = 0 or
±90°) this can be done quite easily. Joint angles can then
be solved for by using the tools of plane geometry.

In the figure, a triangle is formed by l1 and l2, and the line

joining the origin of frame {0} with the origin of frame
{3}.
The dashed lines represent the other possible configuration
of the triangle.
Apply the “law of cosine” to solve for θ2.

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Repeatability and Accuracy

• Repeatability: how precisely a manipulator can return

to a taught point.
o A taught point is one that the manipulator is
moved to physically, and then the joint position
sensors are read and the joint angles stored. Æ
inverse kinematic problem never arises.

• Accuracy: how precisely a manipulator can reach

a computed point.
o A computed point: a point specified in Cartesian
terms, in which the manipulator has never taught
and gone before. Æ Inverse kinematics of the
device must be computed in order to solve for the
required joint angles.

Accuracy of a manipulator is bounded by the repeatability.

While the repeatability of most industrial robot is quite
good, the accuracy is usually much worse and varies quite a
bit from manipulator to manipulator.

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Other examples:

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