Between two frames we have a kinematic relationship -

basically a translation and a rotation.

This relationship is mathematically represented by a 4 4
Homogeneous Transformation Matrix.
z
y
x
Ax

Ay 3 1 Translation

Az
r1 r2 r3

r4 r5 r6

r7 r8 r9
33 Rotational
Matrix
0 0 0
1 3 Perspective
1 Global Scale
Homogeneous transformations:
4
Base
Frame
Tool Frame
x
Goal Frame
Link Frame
Camera Frame
We are interested in two kinematics topics:
Forward Kinematics -angles to position (See Chapters 2 & 3)
What you are given: The length of each link AND the angle of each joint
What you can find: The position of any point (i.e. its (x, y, z) coordinates)
OR
(Given the joint angles for the robot, what is the orientation and position of the end
effector)


Inverse Kinematics - position to angles
What you are given: The length of each link and the position of some point on the robot
What you can find: The angles of each joint needed to obtain that position.
OR
(Given a desired end effector position what are the joint angles to achieve this)

For a robot system the inverse kinematic problem is
one of the most difficult to solve.
The robot controller must solve a set of non-linear
simultaneous equations.
The problems can be summarised as:
The existence of multiple solutions.
The possible non-existence of a solution.
Singularities.
Goal
This two link planar manipulator has two possible solutions.
This problem gets worse with more Degrees of Freedom.
Redundancy of movement.
Goal
A goal outside the workspace of the robot has no
solution.
An unreachable point can also be within the
workspace of the manipulator - physical constraints.
A singularity is a place of acceleration - trajectory
tracking.
Consider a robot arm, which has revolute
and prismatic joints. Find and L.
X
Y
L
(x , y)

)
x
y
( 2 atan =
) y (x
2 2
+ = L

1

(x , y)
l
2

l
1

Given: l
1
, l
2
, x , y

Find:
1
,

2

(x , y)
Inverse Kinematics of a Two Link Manipulator
Redundancy: A unique solution to this problem does
not exist. Notice, that using the givens two solutions are
possible. Sometimes no solution is possible.

The Geometric Solution
l
1

l
2

o
(x , y)
2
u
1
u
Using the Law of Cosines:
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
+
=
=
+ = +
+ =

2 1
2
2
2
1
2 2
1
2
2 1
2
2
2
1
2 2
2 1
2
2
2
1
2 2
2 2 2
2
cos
2
) cos(
) cos( ) 180 cos(
) 180 cos( 2 ) (
cos 2
l l
l l y x
l l
l l y x
l l l l y x
C ab b a c
2
2 2
2
Redundant since u
2
could be in the first or
fourth quadrant.
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
+ =
+
=
+

=
+ = = = = =

x
y
y x
l
l
c C l b B
c
C
b
B
1
2 2
2 2 1
1
1
1 1
2 2
2
2 2
2
2
1
2 2
2 2 1
tan
) sin(
sin ;
x
y
tan

;
y x
) sin(
y x
) sin(180 sin
y x ; 180 ; ; ;
sin sin
u
u u
Redundancy caused since u
2
has two
possible values
Using the Law of Cosines:
12
( ) ( )
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
+ + =
+ + + =
+ + + + + =
+ = +

+ +
+ + + +
2 1
2
2
2
1
2 2
1
2
2 2 1
2
2
2
1
2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1
2
2
2
1
2 1 1 2 1
2
2 1
2
2
2
1
2
1 2 1 1 2 1
2
2 1
2
2
2
1
2
1
2 2 2 2
2
y x
cos
c 2
) (s s ) (c c 2
) (s s 2 ) (s s ) (c c 2 ) (c c
y x ) ( ) (
l l
l l
l l l l
l l l l
l l l l l l l l
ii i
The Algebraic Solution
2 1
2 1 2 1 1
2 1 2 1 1
2 1 2 1
1 1
) (
s s y ) (
c c x ) (
) cos( c
cos c
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
=
+
+
+
iii
l l ii
l l i
) )(sin (cos ) )(sin (cos ) sin(
) )(sin (sin ) )(cos (cos ) cos(
:
a b b a b a
b a b a b a
Note
=
=
l
1

l
2

(x , y)
1
u
2
u
u
Only unknown
) c ( s ) s ( c
c s c s s
sin s y
) ( ) c ( c
c c c
c c x
2 2 1 1 2 2 1
1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1
2 1 2 1 1
2 2 1 2 2 1 1
2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1
2 1 2 1 1
l l l
l l l
l l
s l s l l
s s l l l
l l
+ + =
+ + =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+
+
We know what u
2
is from the previous slide. We
need to solve for u
1
. Now we have two equations
and two unknowns (sin u
1
and cos u
1
)
( )
2 2
2 2 2 2 1
1
2 2 1
2
2
2
1 1 2 2
2 2 1
2 2 1 1 2 2
2 2 1
2 2 1
2 2 1
2 2 1
1
y x
x ) c ( y
s
) c 2 ( s x
) c (
1

) c ( s ) s (
) c (
) ( x
y

) c (
) ( x
c
+
+
=
+ + +
+
=
+ +
+
+
=
+
+
=
s l l l
l l l l s l
l l
l l l
l l
s l s
l l
s l s
Substituting for c
1
and simplifying
many times
Notice this is the law of cosines
and can be replaced by x
2
+ y
2
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
=
2 2
2 2 2 2 1
1
y x
x ) c ( y
arcsin
s l l l
) )(sin (cos ) )(sin (cos ) sin(
) )(sin (sin ) )(cos (cos ) cos(
:
a b b a b a
b a b a b a
Note
=
=