A Survey of One Class of 7-Jointed Serially Connected Robots: Type-Synthesis to Obtain Controllably Dexterous Workspace

A type-synthesis process, which is based on screw theory and geometry, is developed to identify certain robots, each of which can provide controllably dexterous workspace of a tool-point. The identification process is confined to only those robots which control the motion of the end-effector with seven series-connected joints, the axes for the outermost three of which are concurrent. Forty six types of robots are so identified, and, for each, the results are (i) a suitable kinematic chain for the arm and (ii) suitable angle-dimensions for the links of the arm, where the angle-choices are limited to the values 0, ± π/2, and π. A geometric description of the dominant function for control is included. The same kinematic chains are surveyed for all possible parallel and right-angle arrangements of adjacent axes in the four links of the arm. Again utilizing screw theory, 160 robots are identified which do not posses full-cycle axis-dependence among some or all of the first five axes.