Robotic Systems(10)

Dr Richard Crowder
School of Electronics and Computer Science
Revised: 18 November 2011
Robotic end effectors
The end effector is the element of the robot that interfaces
with the environment, and can either be a gripper or a tool.
In a wider sense, an end effector can be seen as the part of a
robot that interacts with the environment. Using this more
general definition, the wheels of a mobile robot or the feet
of a humanoid robot are also end effectors.
Generalised Flow of Assembly
Reach
Assemble
Grip
Release Transport
Frames of Reference
Holding a Spherical Object
1. Pure enclosing without clamping
2. Partial form fit combined with
clamping force
3. Pure force closure
4. Holding with vacuum
5. Using magnetic field
6. Adhesive media
Clarification
Grippers are subsystems of handling mechanisms which
provide temporary contact with the object to be grasped.
They ensure the position and orientation when carrying and
mating the object to the handling equipment.
The term gripper is also used in cases where no actual
grasping, but rather holding of the object as e.g. in vacuum
suction where the retention force can act on a point, line or
surface.
Function
Temporary maintenance of a definite position and orientation of the
workpiece relative to the gripper and the handling equipment.
Restraint against static (weight), dynamic (motion, acceleration or
deceleration) or process specific forces and moments.
Determination and change of position and orientation of the object
relative to the handling equipment through the use of the wrist axes.
Specific technical operations performed with, or in conjunction with,
the gripper.
Comparison with Human Hands
Articulation
Robotic systems have fewer DoF
Dexterity
In general dexterity is lower
Sensing
Fewer sensing capabilities, in many cases limited to touch
Handling Capability
Wide range of handling capabilities (weight, size)
Environmental Constraints
Far more robust (temperature, pressure, corrosive fluids)
Attributes
Dexterity
Balance between number of figures and task requirement
Hold sites
Enough to ensure force closure exists
Sensing
To detect object is being held correctly full dexterity
Compliance
To ensure force sensors operate correctly, and does not degrade robot
positioning
Compatibility
Small as possible the robots handling capability will include the gripper
Theory and Control of Gripping
An unconstrained body has six degrees of freedom, if the
body is brought into contact with a rigid body, the motion
will be constrained. The manner of the constraint depends
on the type of contact.
Eight types on contact are possible.
However we need to develop tools to study griping the
DH approach is point based, we need a vector approach
Screw Geometry.
Screw Geometry
Consider a screw thread
Pitch
Twist
Force: A zero pitch wrench is a pure moment,
Infinite pitch wrench is a linear force
Motion: A zero pitch twist is a pure rotation,
Infinite pitch twist is a linear motion
A twist is a motion caused by a wrench
Wrench
For a rigid body to be in equilibrium the vector sum of all
forces acting on it must be zero.
Consider a force vector F and a position vector, the moment
M is the vector product (about the origin of r) :

A wrench is defined as:
F r M =
(

=
(

=
F
F r
F
M
W
..
For a gripper in equilibrium,


Pitch (p) is defined as

= 0 W
F F F M :
Types of Contact - 1
DoF = 0 Dof = 1
Planar contact with friction
(aka glue)
Line contact with friction
(aka revolute joint)
Types of Contact - 2
DoF = 2 Dof = 3
Soft Finger contact area is large
enough motion around the contact
normal, i.e. rolling is ok, but sliding
is not
Planar without friction
Types of Contact - 3
DoF = 3 Dof = 4
Point contact with friction Linear contact without friction
Types of Contact - 4
DoF = 5 Dof = 6
Point Contact with 0ut friction Unconstrained motion
Number of Fingers
If we have a finger without friction, only one normal force
per finger can be applied



Hence either no fewer than 6 frictionless contacts are
required, or fewer finger with friction are required
however this may not be force or form closed.
Form and Force Closures
Widely discussed in robotic literature
A planar body requires at FOUR frictionless contacts to be fully
restrained, or SEVEN in a 3D case this is termed form closure.
Form closure can be considered to be a complete restraint
Force closure exists when it is in equilibrium with any arbitrary
wrench
A grasp is considered to be form closed if it is force closed with
frictionless contacts



Grip analysis

Complex for multifingered devices.
Requires a clear understanding of both the object and the
fingers
Does the object only have contact at the finger tips.
Is the object in contact with the palm or finger
segments.
Can the fingers be back driven.
Form-Closure with underactuated hands
Form-closure depends on assumption that contact points
are fixed in space.
Not-possible with an underactuated hand as the positions
of individual finger segments are not known.
Underactuated hands can have unstable grasps i.e
ejection of the object form the grip.
Simple Gripper two fingered jaw
W F F = +
2 1
0 ) (
2 1
= + F l F x l
F
1
F
2
W
l
x
Balance forces:
Balance moments
On solving:
x
x l W
F
x
Wl
F
) (
2
1
+
=
=
Multi-fingered Gripper
X
Y
Z
F
1
F
2
F
3
Unit Cube
F
1
= 1
F
2
= 2
F
3
= 1
Force F
1.
X
Y
Z
F
1
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 1 1 1
F
F
F
M
W
F
M F f r
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
1 1 1 1
F
M F f r
Note this solution is also possible
and could be considered
more geometrically correct
other forces.
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
2 2 2
W
F f r
X
Y
Z
F
2
F
3
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

=
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
3
3
3 3
W
F
f r
hence

(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
1
1
0
2
1
2
W
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

=
1
1
0
2
1
2
stability
W
1. The mass of the object not included
2. The wench is not zero hence the cube will
move
Pitch
2 : 1
1
1
0
1
1
0
:
1
1
0
2
1
2
: =
(
(
(

(
(
(

(
(
(

(
(
(

= F F F M
The unit vector of the wrench is that of the force, namely
(
(
(

=
1
1
0
2
1
F
Point of action
Noting that r is a position vector of any point of the line of
action of the force, we can generalise the moment equation
to:

Hence
r p F r M + =
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

(
(
(

+
(
(
(

=
(
(
(

2 3
2 3
2
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
2
1
2
r
p r
.final solution
The last equation cannot be uniquely solved, unless we
impose the condition F.r = 0.
Hence

(
(
(

=
1
1
2 3
r
Applications of a gripper/hand
Explore object
This is termed haptics a significant research field
Restraining an object
Fixturing
Manipulating an object relative to a hands through the use
of the fingers
Dexterous Manipulation
Summary
Considered the basic structure of a robotic hand.
Grasp configurations
Introduction to the control and determination of forces
Considerable body of literature:
Robotic grasping and contact: A review (2000)
Antonio Bicchi, Vijay Kumar . Proceedings of IEEE
International Conference on Robotics and Automation


Other types of end effectors
Where robots are not required to manipulate the object, but act directly
on the workpiece using a tool in place of the end effector. Applications
include:
Welding
Spray painting
Material applications
Assembly Operations
Palletizing and Material Handling
Dispensing Operations
Laboratory Applications
Water Jet Cutting
.
Welding
Arc, MIG, TIG, Laser and Spot
Welding
Increasing speed, quality and
throughput.
High quality welding is easily
repeatable with robots.
Safer and more cost-effective
Spray Painting
More correctly termed coating
Contour following and even
coating.
Safety
Liquid and power paints
No problems with repetition

Assemble
Wide range of applications
Ranging from PCBs to cars
-
This application is the use of
a robot to place a windscreen