Title: A detailed kinematic analysis of a 6-articulated industrial robot

Biography:

Randika K W Vithanage has received his BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka in 2010. He is currently a PhD Scholar at Glasgow Caledonian University, where he is awarded a Competitive Scholarship to fund his PhD, he has worked as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Toshiba TEC, Singapore where he was recognized as employee of the year and named Inventor on a patent. His research interests include industrial robots, robotic sensing, and manipulation of robots in unstructured environments.

Abstract

Due largely to the growing emphasis in academic research on industrial robots and their applications, it is oft en required by researchers to understand and examine the kinematic aspect of such robots. Obtaining both forward and inverse kinematic models of a given industrial robot could be a tedious and intricate task. Th erefore, this paper presents a detailed kinematic analysis of a 6-axis industrial robot that commonly found in present-day industry and research laboratories. Th e proposed kinematic solutions have been validated against the simulation soft ware provided by robot’s supplier and an error analysis has been done to ensure the accuracy. Th ere are particular models of robots which are well discussed in the fi eld of robotic research and also within the domain of kinematic analysis. Th e Puma 560 by Unimation, also known as “white rat” of robotics is one of such robots which catalyzed robotic research for decades, and well examined in textbooks and research articles. However, the eminence of such robots is gradually being replaced by modern 6-axis industrial robots. Perhaps due to its size, prize, availability or consideration of health and safety aspects, the Fanuc LR Mate 200iD is becoming increasingly popular in the industry as well as in the research laboratories. Alternatively, there are a limited number of research articles which examine the kinematics of present day industrial robots. Further, the majority of those articles barely discusses the results and lacks the scientifi c validation of proposed solutions. Th erefore, the main focus of this article was to generate and validate the both forward and inverse kinematic models of a popular and modern industrial robot – the Fanuc LR Mate 200iD.