Denavit –

Hartenberg
Rule
DH Parameter Summary
 DENAVIT-HARTENBERG REPRESENTATION
Chapter 2
Symbol Terminologies :
Robot Kinematics: Position Analysis

⊙  : A rotation angle between two links, about the z-axis (revolute).

⊙ d : The distance (offset) on the z-axis, between links (prismatic).

⊙ a : The length of each common normal (Joint offset).

⊙  : The “twist” angle between two successive z-axes (Joint twist)
(revolute)

 Only  and d are joint variables.

Links between
revolute joints
 Type 3 Link

Joint n+1

xn

Link n
ln=0
dn=0

Joint n

xn-1
 n-1

Type 4
Joint n+1
Link
Link n
ln=0
Part of dn=0
dn-1

Joint n
n
xn
xn-1 yn-1 Origins coincide
Links between
prismatic
joints
 Example II: PUMA 260
1. Number the joints
2. Establish base frame
1 2 3. Establish joint axis Zi
Y1 Z1
X1 4. Locate origin, (intersect.
O1 3 of Zi & Zi-1) OR (intersect
of common normal & Zi )
Z2 Z6
5. Establish Xi,Yi
Y3O2 Z5 Z4
O3 X  Y6 X i  (Zi 1  Zi ) / Zi 1  Zi
Y2 2
O6
6
5 Yi  (Zi  X i ) / Zi  X i
Z0
X3 Y5
t
O5 X5 X6
O4 Z 3
Y4
X4 4
PUMA 260
 d  a 
Link1 13 1 0 90
(Waist)
Link2 0 2 8 0
(Shoulder)
Link3 -l 3 0 90
(Elbow)
Link4 8 4 0 90
Link5 0 5 0 90
Link6 t 6 0 0
 Axis Assignment
• zi−1 and zi – not coplanar
– xi - unique line from zi-1 to zi , perpendicular to both
– oi - Where xi intersects zi

• zi−1 and zi – intersect

– oi – intersection of zi-1 and zi
– xi - Orthogonal to the plane defined by zi−1 and zi
• zi−1 and zi – parallel
– ∞ common normals!
– Free to choose oi - Anywhere along zi
– xi – Arbitrary:
xi : Choose common normal of previous joint
i

xi - Normal through oi-1oi - Point of intersection

i i

of xi with zi
DH Frame setup - Summary
Example
Adept One Robot
 Example: PUMA 560
• Frames and link parameters:

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 40

 Example: PUMA 560
• Frames and link parameters:
αi-1 ai-1 di θi
1 0 0 0 θ1

2 -90º 0 0 θ2

3 0 a2 d3 θ3

4 -90º a3 d4 θ4

5 90º 0 0 θ5

6 -90º 0 0 θ6
Direct & Inverse Kinematics 41
Variations of DH Rule
• According to the conventional Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) notation
(Denavit, J. and Hartenberg, "A Kinematic Notation for Lower-Pair
Mechanisms Based on Matrices," J. of Applied Mechanics, June,
1955, pp. 215-221.), only four parameters (a, d, θ, α) are necessary
to define a frame in space (or joint axis) relative to a reference
frame:

• a = minimum distance between line L (the z axis of next frame) and

z axis (mutually orthogonal line between line L and z axis)

• d = distance along z axis from z origin to minimum distance

intersection point

• θ = angle between x-z plane and plane containing z axis and

minimum distance line

• α = angle between z axis and L

• The Denavit-Hartenberg parametric
description of lines can be extended to
represent frame coordinates for a kinematic
chain of revolute and translational joints.
• Consider the figure below.
• Note that there are several forms of these
parameters being applied to the forward and
inverse kinematics of serial mechanisms
• Each link i has an inward joint i and an outward joint i +1.
• The coordinate system is established beginning at joint 1, the input
joint, and numbering outward.
• For a revolute robot the coordinate z axis for each link lies colinear
with the axis of rotation.
• The x axis is established by the miminum distance line between the
current z axis and the z axis of the inner joint.
• a is the minimum distance between the two consecutive z axes.
• The axes are numbered such that the i -1 axes are associated with
the ith joint of the ith link ( and thus describes the displacement of
the previous link).
• The set of axes established for a PUMA robot is shown as follows.
• Using the D-H representation, the four
parameters are described as
• θi = joint angle of xi axis relative to xi-1 axis with
defined according to RH rule about zi-1 axis.
• di = distance from the origin of the i-1 axes to the
intersection of the zi-1 axis with the xi axis and
measured along the zi-1 axis.
• ai = minimum distance between zi-1 and zi.
• αi = offset angle of zi axis relative to zi-1 axis
measured about the xi axis using RH rule.
• ai = minimum distance between joint i axis (zi)
and joint i-1 axis (zi-1)
• di = distance from minimum distance line (xi-1
axis) to origin of ith joint frame measured
along zi axis.
• αi = angle between zi and zi-1 measured about
previous joint frame xi-1 axis.
• θi = angle about zi joint axis which rotates xi-1
to xi axis in right hand sense.
 Conventional
Revised
• θi = joint angle of xi axis
relative to xi-1 axis with • ai = minimum distance
defined according to RH between joint i axis (zi) and
rule about zi-1 axis. joint i-1 axis (zi-1)
• di = distance from the
origin of the i-1 axes to the • di = distance from minimum
intersection of the zi-1 axis distance line (xi-1 axis) to
with the xi axis and origin of ith joint frame
measured along the zi-1 measured along zi axis.
axis.
• ai = minimum distance
• αi = angle between zi and zi-
between zi-1 and zi. 1 measured previous joint
• αi = offset angle of zi axis frame xi-1 axis.
relative to zi-1 axis • θi = angle about zi joint axis
measured about the xi axis which rotates xi-1 to xi axis
using RH rule.
in right hand sense. about
PROBLEMS
with DH
 DEGENERACY AND DEXTERITY
Degeneracy : The robot looses a degree of freedom
and thus cannot perform as desired.
‫ ٭‬When the robot’s joints reach their physical limits,
and as a result, cannot move any further.
‫ ٭‬In the middle point of its workspace if the z-axes
of two similar joints becomes collinear.

Dexterity : The volume of points where one can

position the robot as desired, but not
orientate it.

Fig. 2.31 An example of a robot in a

degenerate position.
 THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH D-H
REPRESENTATION
Defect of D-H presentation : D-H cannot represent any motion about
the y-axis, because all motions are about the x- and z-axis.

TABLE 2.3 THE PARAMETERS TABLE FOR THE

STANFORD ARM

#  d a 
1 1 0 0 -90

2 2 d1 0 90

3 0 d1 0 0

4 4 0 0 -90

5 5 0 0 90
Fig. 2.31 The frames of the
6 6 0 0 0
Stanford Arm.
 Example: PUMA 560
• PUMA 560 is a 6 DOFs industrial robot with
all rotational joints (6R mechanism)

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 62

 Example: PUMA 560
• PUMA 560 is a 6 DOFs industrial robot with
all rotational joints (6R mechanism)

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 63

 Example: PUMA 560
• Frame {0} and Frame {1} coincides when
θ1=0.
• The joint axes Z4, Z5 and Z6 (wrist’s joints) intersect
at a common point.
• Z4, Z5 and Z6 are mutually orthogonal.

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 64

 Example: PUMA 560
• Frames and link parameters:

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 65

 Example: PUMA 560
• Frames and link parameters:

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 66

 Example: PUMA 560
• Frames and link parameters:
αi-1 ai-1 di θi
1 0 0 0 θ1

2 -90º 0 0 θ2

3 0 a2 d3 θ3

4 -90º a3 d4 θ4

5 90º 0 0 θ5

6 -90º 0 0 θ6
Direct & Inverse Kinematics 67
 Example: PUMA 560
• Link transformations:
 c1  s1 0 0   c 4  s 4 0 a3 
   
0
T   s1 c1 0 0  3
T   0 0 1 d4 
1
 0 0 1 0
4
  s 4 c 4 0 0
   
 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 1
 c 2  s 2 0 0  c5  s5 0 0
   
 0 0 1 0  0 0 1 0 
1
T  4
T 
2
  s 2 c 2 0 0
5
 s5 c5 0 0
   
 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 1
 c3  s3 0 a2   c 6  s 6 0 0
   
2
T   s3 c3 0 0 5
T   0 0 1 0
3
 0 0 1 d3 
6
  s 6 c 6 0 0
   
 0 0 0 1  0 0 0 1
Direct & Inverse Kinematics 68
 Example: PUMA 560
• The kinematics equations of the PUMA 560:
0
6 T 10 T 12 T 32 T 34 T 54 T 56 T r11  c1[c23 (c5c6  s4 s5 )  s23 s5c5 ]  s1 (s4c5c6  c4 s6 ),
 r11 r12 r13 p X  r21  s1[c23 (c4c5c6  s4 s6 )  s23 s5c6 ]  c1 ( s4c5c6  c4 s6 ),
  r31   s23 (c4c5c6  s4 s6 )  s23 s5c6 ,
r r r p
  21 22 23 Y 
 r31 r32 r33 pZ  r12  c1[c23 (c4c5c6  s4c6 )  s23 s5c6 ]  s1 (c4c6  s4c5 s6 ),
 
 0 0 0 1  r22  s1[c23 (c4c5 s6  s4c6 )  s23 s5 s6 ]  c1 (c4c6  s4c5 s6 ),
With : r32   s23 (c4c5 s6  s4c6 )  c23 s5 s6 ,
p X  c1[a2c2  a3c23  d 4 s23 ]  d3 s1 , r13  c1 (c23c4 s5  s23c5 )  s1s4 s5 ,
pY  s1[a2c2  a3c23  d 4 s23 ]  d3c1 , r23   s1 (c23c4 s5  s23c5 )  c1s4 s5 ,
pZ  a3 s23  a2 s2  d 4c23 , r33  s23c4 s5  s23c5 .

Direct & Inverse Kinematics 69