ME 475

Mechatronics

Semester: July 2015

Dr. Sumon Saha

Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Monday, January 04, 2016
Mechatronics Today’s topic

Robotics
 Mechatronics INTRODUCTION

Defined by Robotics Institute of America (RIA) as

A robot is a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator
designed to move materials, parts, tools, or specialized devices
through variable programmed motions for the performance of a
variety of tasks.

True robots should be distinguished from the manually
controlled manipulator or telecheric, which is remotely
controlled by human operators and not programmed to operate
automatically and unattended.

Robots can be generally classified as those with fixed base,
robot manipulators, and those with a mobile base, mobile
robots.

Robotics is the art, knowledgebase, and the know-how of
designing, applying, and using robots in human endeavors.
 Mechatronics Situation to Promote the Use of
Robots
• Hazardous work environments
• Repetitive work cycle
• Consistency and accuracy
• Difficult handling task for humans
• Multishift operations
• Reprogrammable, flexible
• Interfaced to other computer systems
 Mechatronics Robot Classification

The following is the classification of Robots according to the

Robotics Institute of America (RIA).
• Variable-Sequence Robot: A device that performs the
successive stages of a task according to a predetermined
method easy to modify.
• Playback Robot: A human operator performs the task
manually by leading the Robot.
• Numerical Control Robot: The operator supplies the
movement program rather than teaching the task
manually.
• Intelligent Robot: A robot with the means to understand
its environment and the ability to successfully complete a
task despite changes to the environment.
 Mechatronics Robot Applications

Industrial Applications:
o Material handling
o Processing operations
o Assembly and inspection

Field Applications: Robots are deployed in areas where human

being could not survive or be exposed to unsustainable risks.

Service Applications: Robots are used in civil applications such
as intelligent transportations, patient rehabilitation system,
medical applications, domestic aid, entertainments etc.
 Mechatronics Industrial Robot Applications

1. Material handling applications

– Material transfer – pick-and-place, palletizing
– Machine loading and/or unloading
2. Processing operations
– Welding
– Spray coating
– Cutting and grinding
3. (i) Assembly
– involves joining of two or more parts to form a new entity.
(ii) Inspection
– making sure that a given process is completed
– ensuring that parts have been added in the assembly as
specified
– identifying the flaws in raw materials and finished parts.
 Mechatronics Robotic Arc-Welding Cell

Robot performs flux-cored arc welding (FCAW)

operation at one workstation while fitter changes parts at
the other workstation.
 Mechatronics Field Robot Applications

Sojourner rover, deployed by Chinese minesweeping equipment

Pathfinder in 1997 by NASA. used in Lebanese mine fields.
 Mechatronics Service Robot Applications

The da Vinci robotic surgical system comprising of a surgeon’s console and a

patient side cart.
 Mechatronics Robot Accessories

A Robot is a system, consists of the following elements, which are integrated to

form a whole:
• Manipulator / Rover: This is the main body of the Robot and consists of
links, joints and structural elements of the Robot.
• End Effector: This is the part that generally handles objects, makes
connection to other machines, or performs the required tasks. It can vary in
size and complexity from a end effector on the space shuttle to a small
gripper.
• Actuators: Actuators are the muscles of the manipulators. Common types of
actuators are servomotors, stepper motors, pneumatic cylinders etc.
• Sensors: Sensors are used to collect information about the internal state of
the robot or to communicate with the outside environment. Robots are often
equipped with external sensory devices such as a vision system, touch and
tactile sensors etc which help to communicate with the environment.
• Controller: The controller receives data from the computer, controls the
motions of the actuator and coordinates these motions with the sensory
feedback information.
 Mechatronics Robot Specifications

• Accuracy: How close does the robot get to the desired

point?
• Payload: The amount of the weight carried by the
robot manipulator at reduced speed while maintaining
rated precision.
• Maximum speed: A robot moving at full extension with
all joints moving simultaneously in complimentary
directions at full speed.
• Precision: How accurately a specified point can be
reached.
• Resolution: The smallest increment of motion or
distance that can be detected or controlled by the
robotic control system.
 Mechatronics Robot Specifications

• Workspace/ envelope: A three-dimensional shape

that defines the boundaries that the robot manipulator
can reach.
• Reach: The maximum
horizontal distance from the
center of the robot base to the
end of its wrist.
• Repeatability: The ability of a
robot to return repeatedly to a
given position. It is the ability of
a robotic system or mechanism
to repeat the same motion or envelope
achieve the same position.
 Mechatronics Robot Specifications

• Degree of freedom: Each joint or axis on the robot

introduces a degree of freedom.
The degrees of freedom of a rigid body is defined as the
number of independent movements it has.
The number of DOF is:
• Independent position variables
needed to locate all parts of the
mechanism,
• Different ways in which a robot
arm can move,
• Joints
Mechatronics Degrees of Freedom

Rigid Body

In a plane In space
 Mechatronics Degrees of Freedom

3 position
3D Space = 6 DOF
3 orientation
In robotics:
DOF = number of independently driven joints
positioning accuracy
As DOF
computational complexity
cost
flexibility
power transmission is more difficult
 Mechatronics Robot Specifications

Number of axes
• Major axes, (1-3) => position
the wrist
• Minor axes, (4-6) => orient
the tool
• Redundant, (7-n) => reaching
around obstacles, avoiding
undesirable configuration
 Mechatronics Manipulator

• Anything that a robot can use to interact with the

environment is consider a manipulator.
• A manipulator may be thought of as a set of bodies
(links) connected in a chain by joints.
• A manipulator is characterized by an arm that ensures
mobility, a wrist that confers handiness, and an end-
effector that performs the task required of the robots.
• These generally take the form of arms and other
appendages, but also include things such as giant
ramps and flippers.
 Mechatronics Manipulator Structure

• Manipulator consists of joints and links

– Joints provide relative motion Joint3 Link3

– Links are rigid members between End of Arm

joints
– Various joint types: linear and rotary
– Each joint provides a “degree-of- Link2

freedom” Link1

– Most robots possess five or six

Joint2
degrees-of-freedom
• Robot manipulator consists of two Joint1
sections: Link0
– Body-and-arm – for positioning of Base
objects in the robot's work volume
– Wrist assembly – for orientation of
objects
 Mechatronics Manipulator Joints

Revolute Joint
1 DOF ( Variable - θ)

Hooke's Joint
2 DOF (Variables - θ1, θ2)

Spherical Joint Prismatic Joint

3 DOF ( Variables - θ1, θ2, θ3) 1 DOF (linear) (Variables - d)
Prismatic joints are linear; there is no rotation involved. Revolute joints are rotary.
 Mechatronics Motion in Manipulator Joints

• Translational motion (T)

– Linear joint (type L)
– Orthogonal joint (type O)

• Rotary motion (R)

– Rotational joint (type R)

– Twisting joint (type T)

– Revolving joint (type V)

 Mechatronics Joint Notation Scheme

• Uses the joint motion symbols (L, O, R, T, V) to

designate joint types used to construct robot
manipulator
• Separates body-and-arm assembly from wrist
assembly using a colon (:)

• Example: TLR : TR
 Mechatronics Example

• Sketch following manipulator configurations

(a) TRT:R, (b) TVR:TR, (c) RR:T.
Solution:
R
R
T T R
R T
R
R V

T T

(a) TRT:R (b) TVR:TR (c) RR:T

 Mechatronics Robot Configurations

Translational motion (T) Rotary motion (R)

 Mechatronics Manipulator Classification

Robot manipulators are classified as:

1. Cartesian (3P): 20% of industrial robots
2. Cylindrical (R2P): 12%
3. Spherical / Polar (2RP)
4. Articulated / Anthropomorphic (3R): 59%
5. Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA): 8%

P – Prismatic joints
R – Revolute joints
 Mechatronics An Example - The PUMA 560

The PUMA 560 has SIX revolute joints. A There are two more joints on
revolute joint has ONE degree of freedom the end-effector (the gripper)
(1 DOF) that is defined by its angle.
 Polar/ Spherical Coordinate
Mechatronics
Body-and-Arm Assembly

• Notation TRL:

• Spherical joint (2RP)

• Consists of a sliding arm (L joint motion) actuated
relative to the body, which can rotate about both a
vertical axis (T joint motion) and horizontal axis (R
joint motion)
 Cylindrical
Mechatronics
Body-and-Arm Assembly
• Notation TLO:

Cylindrical (R2P):
Cylindrical coordinate
Robots have 2
prismatic joints and one
revolute joint.

• Consists of a vertical column,

relative to which an arm assembly is
moved up or down.
• The arm can be moved in or out
relative to the column.
 Cartesian Coordinate
Mechatronics
Body-and-Arm Assembly
• Notation LOO:
Cartesian/Rectangular
Gantry(3P): made of 3
Linear joints that orient
the end effector, which
are usually followed by
additional revolute
joints.

• Consists of three sliding joints, two

of which are orthogonal.
• Other names include rectilinear
robot and x-y-z robot.
 Mechatronics Jointed-Arm Robot

• Notation TRR:

Articulated/anthropomorphic(3R) : An articulated robot’s joints

are all revolute, similar to a human’s arm.
 Mechatronics SCARA Robot

• Notation VRO
• Selective Compliance Assembly
Robot Arm (SCARA) (2R1P)
• They have two revolute joints that are
parallel and allow the Robot to move
in a horizontal plane, plus an
additional prismatic joint that moves
vertically.
• Similar to jointed-arm robot except
that vertical axes are used for
shoulder and elbow joints to be
compliant in horizontal direction for
vertical insertion tasks.
 Mechatronics Wrist Configurations

• Wrist assembly is attached to end-of-arm

• End effector is attached to wrist assembly
• Function of wrist assembly is to orient end effector
– Body-and-arm determines global position of end
effector
• Two or three degrees of freedom:
– Pitch (up-down)
– Yaw (left-right)
– Roll (rotation)
• Notation :RRT
Wrist motions
 Mechatronics End Effectors

• The special tooling for a robot that enables it to

perform a specific task.
• Two types:
– Grippers – to grasp and manipulate objects (e.g.,
parts) during work cycle.
– Tools – to perform a process, e.g., spot welding,
spray painting.
Mechatronics Grippers and Tools
 Mechatronics Robot Grippers

Mechanical grippers: consisting of two or more fingers that

can be actuated by the robot controller to open and close to grasp
the work – piece.

Vacuum grippers: such cups are used to hold flat objects.

Magnetized devices: for holding ferrous work-pieces.

Adhesive devices: where adhesive substances are used to
hold flexible materials like fabric.

Simple mechanical devices: such as hooks and scoops.
Mechatronics Robot Grippers
 Mechatronics Joint Drive Systems

• Electric Drive
– Uses AC or DC electric motors to actuate individual joints.
– Motors are connected to the manipulator’s axes through
gear reduction mechanisms.
– Preferred drive system in today's robots.
• Hydraulic Drive
– Pressurized fluid entering into cylinders causes the cylinder
to extend or retract.
– Uses hydraulic pistons and rotary vane actuators.
– Noted for their high power and lift capacity.
• Pneumatic Drive
– Pressurized air is supplied through lines to cylinders,
causing air pressure to be transformed into mechanical work.
– Typically limited to smaller robots and simple material
transfer applications.
 Mechatronics Robot Programming Modes

1. Physical setup: an operator sets up switches and

hard stops that control the motion.
2. Lead through or teach mode: the robot’s joints are
moved with a teach pendant.
3. Continuous walk-through mode: all robot joints are
moved simultaneously, while the motion is
continuously sampled and recorded by the controller.
During playback, the recorded motion is executed.
4. Software mode: a program is written off-line/on-line
and is executed by the controller to control the
motion.
 Mechatronics Lead through Programming

1. Powered lead through

– Common for point-to-
point robots
– Uses teach pendant
2. Manual lead through
– Convenient for
continuous path control
robots (e.g., painting)
– Human programmer
physical moves
manipulator
 Mechatronics Lead through Programming

• Advantages:
– Easily learned by shop personnel
– Logical way to teach a robot
– No computer programming

• Disadvantages:
– Downtime during programming
– Limited programming logic capability
– large memory requirements
 Mechatronics Software Mode

• Motivation
– need to interface robot control system to external
sensors, to provide “real time” changes based on
sensory equipment
– computing based on geometry of environment
– ability to interface with CAD/CAM systems
– meaningful task descriptions
– off-line programming capability
• Large number of robot languages available
– AML, VAL, AL, RAIL, RobotStudio, etc. (200+)
• Each robot manufacturer has their own robot
programming language
• No standards exist
 Simulation and Off-Line
Mechatronics
Programming
 Mechatronics Robot Control Systems

• Limited sequence control – pick-and-place operations using

mechanical stops to set positions.
• Playback with point-to-point control – records work cycle as
a sequence of points, then plays back the sequence during
program execution.
– pick and place, palletizing, machine loading
• Playback with continuous path control – greater memory
capacity and/or interpolation capability to execute paths (in
addition to points).
– spray painting, polishing, grinding, arc welding
• Intelligent control – exhibits behavior that makes it seem
intelligent, e.g., responds to sensor inputs, makes decisions,
communicates with humans.