DenavitHartenberg parameters

[T ] = [Z1 ][X1 ][Z2 ][X2 ] . . . [Xn1 ][Zn ],

where [T] is the transformation locating the end-link.
In order to determine the coordinate transformations [Z]
and [X], the joints connecting the links are modeled as either hinged or sliding joints, each of which have a unique
line S in space that forms the joint axis and dene the relative movement of the two links. A typical serial robot is
characterized by a sequence of six lines S, i=1,...,6, one
for each joint in the robot. For each sequence of lines S
and S, there is a common normal line A,. The system
of six joint axes S and ve common normal lines A,
form the kinematic skeleton of the typical six degree of
freedom serial robot. Denavit and Hartenberg introduced
the convention that Z coordinate axes are assigned to the
joint axes S and X coordinate axes are assigned to the
common normals A,.
This convention allows the denition of the movement
of links around a common joint axis S by the screw displacement,

The DenavitHartenberg parameters (also called DH

parameters) are the four parameters associated with a

particular convention for attaching reference frames to

cos i
the links of a spatial kinematic chain, or robot manipula sin i
[Zi ] =
tor.
0

sin i
cos i
0
0

0 0
0 0
,
1 di
0 1

0
Jacques Denavit (Dr. Esa alumni) and Richard Hartenberg introduced this convention in 1955 in order to stanwhere i is the rotation around and di is the slide along
dardize the coordinate frames for spatial linkages.[1][2]
the Z axis---either of the parameters can be constants deRichard Paul demonstrated its value for the kinematic pending on the structure of the robot. Under this conanalysis of robotic systems in 1981.[3] While many con- vention the dimensions of each link in the serial chain are
ventions for attaching references frames have been de- dened by the screw displacement around the common
veloped, the Denavit-Hartenberg convention remains the normal A, from the joint S to S, which is given by
standard approach.

1
0
0 cos i,i+1
[Xi ] =
0 sin i,i+1
0
0

Denavit-Hartenberg convention

A commonly used convention for selecting frames of

reference in robotics applications is the Denavit and
Hartenberg (DH) convention which was introduced
by Jacques Denavit and Richard S. Hartenberg. In this
convention, coordinate frames are attached to the joints
between two links such that one transformation is associated with the joint, [Z], and the second is associated
with the link [X]. The coordinate transformations along
a serial robot consisting of n links form the kinematics
equations of the robot,

0
sin i,i+1
cos i,i+1
0

ri,i+1
0
,
0
1

where i,i+1 and ri,i+1 dene the physical dimensions

of the link in terms of the angle measured around and
distance measured along the X axis.
In summary, the reference frames are laid out as follows:
1. the z -axis is in the direction of the joint axis
2. the x -axis is parallel to the common normal: xn =
zn1 zn
1

2
If there is no unique common normal (parallel z
axes), then d (below) is a free parameter. The direction of xn is from zn1 to zn , as shown in the
video below.
3. the y -axis follows from the x - and z -axis by choosing it to be a right-handed coordinate system.

1.1

Four parameters

DENAVIT-HARTENBERG MATRIX

the xn -axis intersects both zn1 and zn axes

the origin of joint n is at the intersection of xn and
zn
yn completes a right-handed reference frame based
on xn and zn

2 Denavit-Hartenberg matrix
It is common to separate a screw displacement into the
product of a pure translation along a line and a pure rotation about the line,[5][6] so that

[Zi ] = TransZi (di ) RotZi (i ),

and

[Xi ] = TransXi (ri,i+1 ) RotXi (i,i+1 ).

The four parameters of classic DH convention are shown in

red text, which are i , di , ai , i . With those four parameters,
we can translate the coordinates from Oi1 Xi1 Yi1 Zi1 to
Oi Xi Yi Zi .

Using this notation, each link can be described by a

coordinate transformation from the previous coordinate
system to the next coordinate system.
n1

Tn = Transzn1 (dn )Rotzn1 (n )Transxn (rn )Rotxn (n )

The transformation the following four parameters known Note that this is the product of two screw displacements,
The matrices associated with these operations are:
as DH parameters:.[4]
d : oset along previous z to the common normal
: angle about previous z , from old x to new x
r : length of the common normal (aka a , but if using this notation, do not confuse with ). Assuming
a revolute joint, this is the radius about previous z .
: angle about common normal, from old z axis to
new z axis
A visualization of DH parameterization is available:
YouTube

1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0

Transzn1 (dn ) =
0 0 1 dn
0 0 0 1

cos n sin n 0
sin n
cos n 0
Rotzn1 (n ) =
0
0
1
0
0
0

1 0 0 rn
0 1 0 0

Transxn (rn ) =
0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1

1
0
0
0 cos n sin n
Rotxn (n ) =
0 sin n
cos n
0
0
0

There is some choice in frame layout as to whether the

previous x axis or the next x points along the common
normal. The latter system allows branching chains more
eciently, as multiple frames can all point away from
their common ancestor, but in the alternative layout the
ancestor can only point toward one successor. Thus the
This gives:
commonly used notation places each down-chain x axis
collinear with the common normal, yielding the transfor
mation calculations shown below.
cos n

We can note constraints on the relationships between the n1 Tn = sin n

0
axes:
0

sin n cos n
cos n cos n
sin n
0

0
0

0
1

0
0

0
1

sin n sin n
cos n sin n
cos n
0

the xn -axis is perpendicular to both the zn1 and where R is the 33 submatrix describing rotation and T
zn axes
is the 31 submatrix describing translation.

rn cos n

rn sin n
=

dn
1

Use of Denavit and Hartenberg

matrices

where is the angular velocity of body j with respect

to body i and all the components are expressed in frame
k ; v is the velocity of one point of body j with respect
to body i (the pole). The pole is the point of j passing
The Denavit and Hartenberg notation gives a standard through the origin of frame i .
methodology to write the kinematic equations of a manipulator. This is specially useful for serial manipulators The acceleration matrix can be dened as the sum of the
where a matrix is used to represent the pose (position and time derivative of the velocity plus the velocity squared
orientation) of one body with respect to another.
The position of body n with respect to n 1 may be rep- H
2

i,j(k) = Wi,j(k) + Wi,j(k)

resented by a position matrix indicated with the symbol
T or M
The velocity and the acceleration in frame i of a point of
body j can be evaluated as
n1

Tn = Mn1,n

This matrix is also used to transform a point from frame P = Wi,j P

n to n 1
P = Hi,j P
It is also
possible to prove that

Zx Tx
xn
yn
Zy Ty

P(n1) = Mn1,n P(n)

zn
Zz M Tz =W
M
i,j
i,j(i) i,j
1
0
1

Where the upper left 33 submatrix of M represents the Mi,j = Hi,j(i) Mi,j
relative orientation of the two bodies, and the upper right Velocity and acceleration matrices add up according to
3 1 represents their relative position.
the following rules

Xx
xn1
yn1 Xy

=
zn1 = Xz
1
0

Yx
Yy
Yz
0

The position of body k with respect to body i can be

obtained as the product of the matrices representing the
pose of j with respect of i and that of k with respect of j Wi,k = Wi,j + Wj,k
Hi,k = Hi,j + Hj,k + 2Wi,j Wj,k
in other words the absolute velocity is the sum of the drag
plus the relative velocity; for the acceleration the Coriolis
An important property of Denavit and Hartenberg matriterm is also present.
ces is that the inverse is
The components of velocity and acceleration matrices are
expressed in an arbitrary frame k and transform from one

frame to another by the following rule

T
T

R
R
T
1

M =

0 0 0
1
W = Mh,k W Mk,h
Mi,k = Mi,j Mj,k

(h)

(k)

where R is both the transpose and the inverse of the H = M H M

h,k (k) k,h
(h)
1
T
orthogonal matrix R , i.e. Rij
= Rij
= Rji .

5 Dynamics

Kinematics

For the dynamics 3 further matrices are necessary to deFurther matrices can be dened to represent velocity and scribe the inertia J , the linear and angular momentum
acceleration of bodies.[5][6] The velocity of body i with , and the forces and torques applied to a body.
respect to body j can be represented in frame k by the
Inertia J :
matrix

Wi,j(k)

0
z
=
y
0

z
0
x
0

y
x
0
0

vx
vy

vz
0

Ixx
Ixy
Ixz xg m
Ixy
Iyy
Iyz yg m

J =
Ixz
Iyz
Izz zg m
xg m yg m zg m
m

7 SEE ALSO

where m is the mass, xg , yg , zg represent the position of 6 Modied DH parameters

the center of mass, and the terms Ixx , Ixy , . . . represent
inertia and are dened as
Some books such as [7] use modied DH parameters. The
dierence between the classic DH parameters and the

modied DH parameters are the locations of the coordinates system attachment to the links and the order of
Ixx =
x2 dm
the performed transformations.

Ixy =
xy dm
Ixz =

Action matrix , containing force f and torque t :

0
tz
=
ty
fx

tz
0
tx
fy

ty
tx
0
fz

fx
fy

fz
0

Momentum matrix , containing linear and angular

momentum

0
z
=
y
x

z
0
x
y

y
x
0
z

x
y

z
0

Modied DH parameters

Compared with the classic DH parameters, the coordinates of frame Oi1 is put on axis i-1, not the axis i in
classic DH convention. The coordinates of Oi is put on
the axis i, not the axis i+1 in classic DH convention.

All the matrices are represented with the vector compo- Another dierence is that according to the modied connents in a certain frame k . Transformation of the com- vention, the transform matrix is given by the following
ponents from frame k to frame h follows to rule
order of operations:
T
J(h) = Mh,k J(k) Mh,k

(h) =

T
Mh,k (k) Mh,k

n1

Tn = Rotxn1 (n1 )Transxn1 (an1 )Rotzn (n )Transzn (dn )

Thus, the matrix of the modied DH parameters becomes

T
(h) = Mh,k (k) Mh,k

The matrices described allow the writing of the dynamic

equations in a concise way.
Newtons law:

cos n

sin

cos n1
n
n1
Tn =
sin n sin n1
0

sin n
cos n cos n1
cos n sin n1
0

0
sin n1
cos n1
0

Momentum:

It should be noteworthy to remark that some books

(e.g.:[8] ) use an and n to indicate the length and twist
of link n-1 rather than link n. As a consequence, n1 Tn
is formed only with parameters using the same subscript.

= W J JW t

Surveys of DH conventions and its dierences have been

published.[9][10]

= HJ JH t

The rst of these equations express the Newtons law and

is the equivalent of the vector equation f = ma (force
equal mass times acceleration) plus t = J + J
(angular acceleration in function of inertia and angular
velocity); the second equation permits the evaluation of
the linear and angular momentum when velocity and inertia are known.

7 See also
Forward kinematics
Inverse kinematics

an1
dn sin n
dn cos n
1

5
Kinematic chain
Kinematics
Robotics conventions
Mechanical systems

References

[1] Denavit, Jacques; Hartenberg, Richard Scheunemann

(1955). A kinematic notation for lower-pair mechanisms
based on matrices. Trans ASME J. Appl. Mech 23: 215
221.
[2] Hartenberg, Richard Scheunemann; Denavit, Jacques
(1965). Kinematic synthesis of linkages. McGraw-Hill series in mechanical engineering. New York: McGraw-Hill.
p. 435.
[3] Paul, Richard (1981). Robot manipulators: mathematics,
programming, and control : the computer control of robot
manipulators. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0262-16082-7.
[4] Spong, Mark W.; Vidyasagar, M. (1989). Robot Dynamics and Control. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN
9780471503521.
[5] Legnani, Giovanni; Casolo, Federico; Righettini, Paolo;
Zappa, Bruno (1996). A homogeneous matrix approach to 3D kinematics and dynamics I. Theory. Mechanism and Machine Theory 31 (5): 573587.
doi:10.1016/0094-114X(95)00100-D.
[6] Legnani, Giovanni; Casalo, Federico; Righettini, Paolo;
Zappa, Bruno (1996). A homogeneous matrix approach to 3D kinematics and dynamicsII. Applications to chains of rigid bodies and serial manipulators. Mechanism and Machine Theory 31 (5): 589605.
doi:10.1016/0094-114X(95)00101-4.
[7] John J. Craig, Introduction to Robotics: Mechanics and
Control (3rd Edition)
[8] Khalil, Wisama; Dombre, Etienne (2002). Modeling,
identication and control of robots. New York: Taylor
Francis. ISBN 1-56032-983-1.
[9] Lipkin, Harvey (2005).
A Note on DenavitHartenberg Notation in Robotics 2005. pp. 921926.
doi:10.1115/DETC2005-85460.
[10] Waldron, Kenneth; Schmiedeler, James (2008). Kinematics. pp. 933. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-30301-5_2.

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