Topic 5: Fundamentals of

Robots
•The term "robot" originated from Karel Capek's 1920 play R.U.R., derived
from the Czech word "robota" meaning "compulsory labor."
•Early science fiction often depicted robots overthrowing and exterminating
humans.
•A robot is an electromechanical device with programmability and multiple
degrees-of-freedom (DOF) to perform varied tasks.
•The Robotics Industries Association (RIA) defines an industrial robot as a
programmable manipulator for moving items through programmed motions
for task performance.
•Industrial robots are composed of rigid links and joints, controlled by
computers.
•Robot technology integrates machine design, control theory,
microelectronics, computer programming, AI, human factors, and production
theory.
•Robotics is the study of robots, and its practitioners are known as roboticists.
•
Three Laws of Robotics
• Asimov's key contribution to robotics is the
"Three Laws of Robotics":
• Robots cannot harm humans or allow
harm through inaction.
• Robots must follow human orders
unless they conflict with the First Law.
• Robots must protect their own
existence unless it conflicts with the
First or Second Law.
- Asimov later adds a "zeroth law" to the
list:
- Zeroth law: A robot may not
injure humanity, or, through
inaction, allow humanity to
come to harm.
General Characteristics

• Robots are specialized, flexible machine tools

distinct from fixed-purpose automation.
• Capable of moving a mechanical arm for task
performance.
• Essentially a mechanical arm fixed to a floor,
machine, ceiling, or wall, equipped with a
"hand" for repetitive tasks in a controlled
environment.
• Robots interact with their environment through
a mechanical hand attached to their tool-
mounting plate.
General-purpose, programmable machines
with some human-like features, suitable
for:

• Hazardous work environments

• Repetitive work cycles
• Tasks requiring consistency and accuracy
• Handling tasks difficult for humans
• Multishift operations
• Reprogrammable and flexible for various tasks
• Can be interfaced with other computer systems
Basic - The basic components of an
industrial robot are:

Components
o Manipulator
o End effector (which is the part
of the manipulator).
o Power supply
o Controller.
o Means for programming.
• The manipulator, or robot's arm, consists of jointed
segments with axes for multi-directional motion.
• The end effector, like a gripper tool or special
device, attached to the arm, executes the tasks.
• Power supply, which can be electric, pneumatic, or
hydraulic, provides and controls energy converted to
motion by actuators.
• The controller manages the initiation, termination,
and coordination of the robot's motion sequences,
handling inputs and outputs for external interfacing.
• Programming mechanisms record movements into
the robot's memory, with various methods
available. A teach pendant, or hand-held
programmer, allows operators to guide the robot
through desired paths, with points recorded by the
controller for future actions.
Robotics Terminology
1. DOF degrees-of-freedom: the number of independent motions
a device can make. (Also called mobility)
2. Position: The translational (straight-line) location of something.
3. Orientation: The rotational (angle) location of something. A
robot’s orientation is measured by roll, pitch, and yaw angles.
4. Link: A rigid piece of material connecting joints in a robot.
5. Joint: The device which allows relative motion between two
links in a robot.
6. Workspace/Work envelop: The volume in space that a robot’s
end-effector can reach, both in position and orientation.
7. Payload: the ability to carry, continuously and satisfactorily, a
given maximum weight at a given speed.
8. Velocity/speed: the maximum speed at which the tip of a
robot is capable of moving at full extension, expressed in
inches or millimeters per second. The speed is usually
specified at a specific load or assuming that the robot is
carrying a fixed weight. Actual speed may vary depending upon
the weight carried by the robot.
9. Cycle: time it takes for the robot to complete one cycle of
picking up a given object at a given height, moving it to a given
distance, lowering it, releasing it, and returning to the starting
point.
10. Accuracy: a robot’s ability to position the end effector at a
specified point in space upon receiving a control command
without previously having attained that position.
11. Repeatability: the ability of a robot to return consistently to
a previously defined and achieved location.
12. Resolution: the smallest incremental change in position
that it make or its control system can measure.
13. Size: the physical size of a robot, which influences its
capacity and its capabilities.
 Controller
• The controller coordinates all robot movements and receives
environmental input via sensors.
• Central to the controller is a microprocessor connected to
input/output and monitoring devices.
• Controller commands trigger the motion control system, including
controllers, amplifiers, and actuators.
• Actuators, such as motors or valves, convert power into robot
movement based on programmed instructions.
• Movement is based on a program stored in the controller's
memory.
• The controller operates on three hierarchical levels, organizing
control within the robotic system.
• Each level issues control signals downward and feedback signals
upward, with functions becoming more basic closer to the actuator.
• Each hierarchical level relies on the one above for instructions.
The three levels are:

• Level I—Actuator Control: Controls individual

robot movements across different planes (e.g.,
X, Y, Z axes).
• Level II—Path Control: Coordinates
movements from Level I into a specific
trajectory or path.
• Level III—Main Control: Interprets human
programmer instructions, integrating them
with environmental signals and converting
them into simpler commands for Level II.
Manipulator
• The manipulator, or robot arm, consists of jointed segments
enabling work through motion.
• It moves materials, parts, tools, or devices through motions for
useful work.
• Manipulators are categorized by control method, power
source, joint actuation, among other factors, to determine
suitability for tasks.
• Certain environments, like those with combustible fumes, are
unsuitable for electric robots due to explosion risks.
• The manipulator's structure, with segments and joints,
resembles the human arm, providing linear or rotary
movement.
• Like human muscles drive joint movement, robot actuators
move and hold the arm along programmed paths.
• Human muscles provide the force for joint movement;
similarly, robot actuators move the arm along programmed
paths and maintain joint rigidity at the correct position.
• Mechanical devices like linkages, gears, actuators, and
feedback systems execute manipulation, offering linear or
rotary motion.
• Linear actuators move loads in a straight line, extending or
retracting them.
• Rotary actuators rotate loads, which can be converted to
linear motion through mechanical means like a lead screw.
• Actuators also function outside robots to move workpieces
and facilitate motions within the work envelope.
• Robot movements are categorized into arm and body
(shoulder and elbow) motions and wrist motions, each joint
motion contributing to the robot's degrees of freedom, with
industrial robots typically having 4-6 degrees of freedom.
• The wrist achieves specific orientation in space through
pitch (up-and-down motion), yaw (side-to-side
motion), and roll (rotating motion), known as
orientation axes.
• Joints or position axes, where the manipulator bends,
slides, or rotates, serve as fixed reference points within
the manipulator, known as world coordinates.
• X-axis travel enables in-and-out movement of the
manipulator.
• Y-axis motion allows side-to-side movement.
• Z-axis motion facilitates up-and-down movement.
• The robot manipulator's mechanical design is crucial
for its work envelope and motion capabilities.
• A tachometer, used in robotic systems, measures the
speed of an object, monitoring the manipulator's
acceleration and deceleration.
End Effector
• The end effector, or robot's hand, is the end-
of-arm tooling on the robot.
• Attached to the manipulator's wrist, it's
designed for tasks like grasping, lifting,
transporting, and maneuvering workpieces.
• A crucial component of robot systems, the
end effector's suitability for task
requirements directly impacts robot
performance.
• The robot's work envelope is defined by the
area accessible to the end effector.
 Power Supply
• Power supply energizes the controller and actuators, converting AC to DC
voltage for internal circuits, or providing hydraulic/pneumatic power via pumps
or compressors.
• Three main types of power supplies: electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic, with
electricity being the most common energy source in industrial settings,
followed by compressed air, and hydraulic power being the least common.
• Energy sources must be adapted to the form and amount needed by the
specific robot type.
• Electrical power is essential for the control unit and any electric drive actuators.
• Robots with hydraulic actuators need electrical power converted into hydraulic
energy, typically through an electric motor-driven hydraulic pump.
• Pneumatic actuator-equipped robots rely on compressed air, generally supplied
by an electric motor-driven compressor.
Degrees of Freedom
• Robots have limited dexterity compared to humans.
• Human hand movements are controlled by 35 muscles, with 15 in the
forearm, providing significant strength for grasping.
• Fingers and thumb can act individually or together for intricate tasks,
supported by 27 bones in the hand and wrist.
• Degrees of freedom (DOF) refer to a robot's capability to move in
three dimensions: forward/backward, up/down, left/right.
• Each DOF necessitates a joint, with six DOFs required for full
versatility.
• Robot movements are less refined than the human hand, which has
22 DOFs.
• The DOF count determines the robot's configuration, with simple
tasks often requiring movement along the X, Y, and Z axes.
• Tasks often need three joints or degrees of
freedom (DOF).
• The robot arm's three DOFs are rotational,
radial, and vertical traverses:
• Rotational traverse (x-axis) involves side-to-
side swiveling on a vertical axis.
• Radial traverse (y-axis) is the arm's
extension and retraction, creating in-and-
out motion.
• Vertical traverse (z-axis) allows up-and-
down motion.
• Additional DOFs for more complex tasks can
come from the wrist, enhancing end effector
flexibility.
• Wrist DOFs are named aeronautically: pitch,
yaw, and roll:
• Pitch is the wrist's up-and-down movement.
• Yaw is the side-to-side movement.
• Roll involves wrist rotation.
• A total of six degrees of freedom (DOF)
are needed for a robot to fully locate and
orient its hand within its work envelope.
• Most applications typically require only
three to five DOF for sufficient flexibility.
• Adding more DOF complicates the
robot's motions and the design of its
controller.
• Some industrial robots feature seven or
eight DOF, often achieved by mounting
the robot on a track or mobile base to
extend its reach.
Classifying
Robots
• Robots are categorized based on
components, configuration, and
application.
• Common classification methods
include control system type,
actuator drive type, and work
envelope shape.
We will start END
from Type of
Control THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
System
SEE YOU NEXT TIME