Dynamic characteristics of robot singular configurations and their applications

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K06182
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Urakubo Takateru 神戸大学, システム情報学研究科, 准教授 (10335424)
• Research Collaborator: MASHIMO Tomoaki ; MUROMAKI Takao ; WAN Xianglong
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 動力学 / 非線形力学 / 最適運動計画

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we examined the dynamic characteristics of singular configurations for serial-link robots, and showed by theoretical analysis, numerical simulations and experiments that the robots can achieve dynamic tasks by utilizing the characteristics. For a two-link robot arm, its singular configuration is the posture where the arm is stretched out. Although singular configurations tend to be avoided in the conventional approach to robot control, this study revealed that singular configurations allow the robots to achieve dynamic tasks such as lifting up a heavy object while reducing the joint torques necessary for the tasks. Furthermore, we can find various dynamic characteristics of singular configurations and various ways of utilizing them, depending on the tasks required for the robots, the number of joints and the degrees of freedom of the robots.

Free Research Field

ロボティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ロボットアームの運動方程式は特異姿勢付近で強い非線形性を持つ．本研究では，いくつかのロボットを対象として，この非線形性に伴う力学的性質やその利用法を解明したものであり，ロボットダイナミクスの理解としてその学術的意義は高い．
また，今後のロボットは，災害地での瓦礫除去，家庭内での様々な荷物の運搬など，未知環境での作業遂行が求められる．本研究の成果は，特異姿勢の活用の有無が，作業達成の成否にかかわることを示しており，より役に立つロボットの創出に向けて，その社会的意義は大きい．