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Robotics (EL-422)
Handouts No. 3
Teacher:
Dr. Syed Riaz un Nabi Jafri

Spring 22
Department of Electronic Engineering
NED UET
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Introduction to Robotics
• It is derived from Czech word Robota means Slave or
Worker

• Robotics is defined as an Art with some knowledge

base to design and build useful autonomous or
semiautonomous systems which can provide
assistance to Humans

• Robot is normally referred to system which is

providing assistance with some autonomy

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History
• 1946: George Devol built ENIAC computer which was used to execute simple operations
• 1952: First numerically controlled machine was built at MIT
• 1954: George Devol built first programmable Robot
• 1955: Denavit and Hartenberg developed transformations principles for Robotics
• 1962: First Industrial Robot was appeared by UNIMATION
• 1973: Popular T3 model Industrial Robots were deployed
• 1978: PUMA Robots were produced by UNIMATION
• 1986: HONDA introduced first Humanoid Robot H0
• 2000: More then 4000 Industrial Robots were sold in couple of years
• 2002: Trend of Robotics shifted towards domestic/commercial movable systems
• 2003: Flying and land movement (ROVER) Robots were developed in different institutes
• 2005: Humanoid Robots were deployed by different Organizations
• 2206: Medical Robots were introduced for minimally Invasive Surgery
• 2007: Big Dog was introduced by USA
• Current Era: Big machines with flying, underwater, rovers capabilities are in
development. Very small robots like Fly are already in use. Possible next phase will be
definitely like movies (AVATAR)

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 A Brief Look on Existing Robotic Systems

Type A: Handling device with tele operation

1: Stationary or Movable
Type B: Handling device with predetermined cycle
2: Land, Underwater, Air etc.
Type C: Programmable servo controlled system
3: Humanoid, Animal, Insects etc.
Type D: Like C but additional capability of sensing
(French Association of Robotics)
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A Brief Look on Existing Robotic Systems

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Robot Components
• Manipulator (or rover): main body of robot
• Links: Joining parts of robot which are associated with main body or
other parts
• Joints: Provide connectivity between different parts
• Actuators: Agents which are responsible to provide force for motion on
different parts
• Sensors: Agents which are responsible to sense rate of motion of robot
itself or objects nearer to robot with further details
• End effector: The part at the last joint (hand/gripper)
• Controller: A numerically supported agent responsible to control all
motions of robot
• Processor (Brain): A numerically supported agent responsible to
determine and estimate behavior of robot and its surroundings and to
generate commands to different parts
• Software: A series of instructions which are provided to Processor

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Robot Components

Joints

Sensors

Controller

Processor

Example of an Industrial Robotic Arm

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Actuators
Actuators are referred as Muscles of robot

• Electric motors
Servo motors
Stepper motors
• Pneumatic actuators
• Hydraulic actuators

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Actuators

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Actuators
Selection Criteria for Actuators:

• Weight
• Power to weight ratio
• Operating conditions
• Cost
Electric Pneumatic Hydraulic
Almost for all sizes For middle sizes For large sizes
modest modest highest
power/weight ratio power/weight ratio power/weight ratio
Good for precise Discrete position Discrete position
control control control
Small integration Large integration Large integration
size size size

Breaks needed No breaks No breaks

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Sensors
Sensors are referred as Eyes/Ears/Nerves of robot
• Potentiometers
• Encoders
• LVDT
• Resolvers
• Strain Guage
• Proximity Sensors
• Range Finders/Laser Scanners
• Object Identifiers

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Sensors

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Sensors
Selection Criteria for Sensors:

• Size and weight

• Interfacing
• Sensitivity and resolution
• Linearity and range
• Accuracy and reliability
• Cost

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Processors (Brain)
A variety of processors solutions are available
depending on the requirement.

• Microprocessor based main boards

• Microcontroller based main boards
• FPGA based main boards
• PLC based main boards

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Processors (Brain)

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Joints

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Joints

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Joints

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Joints

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Joints

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Degree Of Freedom (DOF)

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Degree Of Freedom (DOF)

Examples, How many DOF ?

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Common Industrial Robots Structure

3P PRP P2R

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Common Industrial Robots Structure

? ?

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Workspace

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Workspace

Cylindrical Robotic Arm

Workspace ?

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Robot Characteristics

• Payload: Weight that robot can carry

• Reach: Max. distance that can achieve
• Precision: How accurately given point has reached
• Repeatability: How many times same task is successful
• Working Environment: Possible location where robot can work
• Weight: System/robot weight
• Cost: Robot cost

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Reference Frames

X
Y
Object need to drill at (x,y,z) ….
Identification of point is
possible after assigning
reference frame

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Reference Frames
Each object has its own frame of reference

We need to identify a common relation between different frames to control

motion of robot
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Representation of a Body in Free Space

A simple vector in space A body in space

Three pieces of information is A local frame noa is attached
required with the body
Six pieces of information is
required. Three for locations
and three for orientations 31
Representation of a Body in Free Space

1 0 0 3
0 0.707 -0.707 5
0 0.707 0.707 7
0 0 0 1

0 0 -1 0
0 1 0 0 Could you plot where is that
1 0 0 0 frame ?
0 0 0 1

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Transformations

Doing a movement in space by some local frame with

respect to a fixed frame is known as Transformation

There are two different types of transformations:

• Translations : Having displacement without orientation change

• Rotations : Having only orientation change
• Combined transformations : Having both changes

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Translation
Local frame noa is
changing its location with
respect to world frame
keeping old orientation

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Rotation
Rotation along x-axis

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Rotation

Coordinates in fixed frame Rotation along x-axis

Rotation along y-axis Rotation along z-axis

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Rotation

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Rotation
Matlab script :

P_noa = [2;3;4]
Rot_x = [1 0 0; 0 cos(90*pi/180) -sin(90*pi/180); 0 sin(90*pi/180) cos(90*pi/180)]
P_xyz = Rot_x * P_noa
P_xyz =
2.0000
-4.0000
3.0000

% Try second time

P_noa = [2;3;4]
P_vec = [0;0;0]
P_vec = [P_vec,P_noa]
plot3(P_vec(1,:),P_vec(2,:),P_vec(3,:),'-rs','LineWidth',2, 'MarkerEdgeColor','k', 'MarkerFaceColor','g', 'MarkerSize',10)
xlabel('X'); ylabel('Y'); zlabel('Z'); grid on; axis equal; hold on;

Rot_x = [1 0 0; 0 cos(90*pi/180) -sin(90*pi/180); 0 sin(90*pi/180) cos(90*pi/180)]

P_xyz = Rot_x * P_noa

P_vec = [0;0;0]
P_vec = [P_vec,P_xyz]
plot3(P_vec(1,:),P_vec(2,:),P_vec(3,:),'-bs','LineWidth',2, 'MarkerEdgeColor','k', 'MarkerFaceColor','b', 'MarkerSize',10)
axis equal;

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Combined Transformations

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Combined Transformations
Find world coordinates and plot them for a local origin which is initially
placed on world origin. Local frame is translated 10 units in x-axis and
rotates 90 degree along z-axis. Plot other result by changing sequence.

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