Abstract
Space robots are often provided with manipulatory devices, which are essential to perform tasks like grasping spacecraft or specimens, operating tools or cameras for inspection and many other duties. In most cases these manipulatory devices are open kinematic chains, which may bear some similarity with human arms or at least animal limbs. The generic term arm is used for manipulators that follow the scheme of an open kinematic chain, even if their structure is not anthropomorphic. The chapter describes the most common configurations of robot arms and the basic kinematic and dynamic relationships needed for their design.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Actually two parallel axes are, following this definition, also perpendicular, since they are, by definition, at right angle to their common normal. A revolute arm can thus be R ⊢ R ⊥ R, but also R ⊢ R ∥ R. Parallel axes are thus a particular case of perpendicular axes, as defined above. To avoid this potentially confusing definition, often only two cases are defined: parallel (∥), and perpendicular (⊥) axes, the latter with the meaning we here give to normal axes. However, in this way general skew axes cannot be included.
- 2.
Here the generic term ‘fixed’ is used. In dynamics, the equations of motion are usually written with reference to an inertial frame, however, here frame OXYZ is not required to be such. It is simply a frame that does not follow the rigid body in its motion, and in which the motion of the body is described.
- 3.
Sometimes all sets of three ordered angles are said to be Euler angles. With this wider definition also Tait–Brian angles are considered as Euler angles.
- 4.
See, for instance, D. Tolani, A. Goswami, N.I. Badler, Real-Time Inverse Kinematics Techniques for Anthropomorphic Limbs, Graphical Models, Vol. 62, pp. 353–388, 2000.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Genta, G. (2012). Manipulatory Devices. In: Introduction to the Mechanics of Space Robots. Space Technology Library, vol 26. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1796-1_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1796-1_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-1795-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1796-1
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)