ROBOTICS

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

CLASSIFICATION OF ROBOTS
Industrial robotic manipulators can be classified into following ways:
• Based on the basis of technology involved.
• Based upon the mechanical configuration of device
• Based upon the general method to control its individual
members. Based upon method of input of information and
teaching
• Based upon manipulative functions.
• Based upon level of sophistication.

CLASSIFICATION BASED UPON THE MECHANICAL

CONFIGURATION OF DEVICE.
All robots must be able to move a part (or load) to some point in
space. The major area of the device, normally consisting of two to
three joints or degrees of freedom are used for this purpose. The
majority of robots, fall into one of four categories with respect to the
co-ordinate system employed in the design of axis. They can be
described as being either to possess one of the four basic
configuration.
1. Polar configuration / Configuration (spherical).
2. Cylindrical configuration / cylindrical
3. Cartesian co-ordinate configuration / certesian (rectangular)
 4. Joined arm configuration / articulated (revolute on jointed
arm)

1. Polar configuration:
It bears a resemblance to tank trust. It uses a telescoping arm
that can be raised or lowered – lowered about a horizontal pivot. The
pivot is mounted on the rotating base. The various joints provide the
capacity to move its arm with in a spherical space and hence applied
to this robot. It terms of reach example of such robots are unimation
series and united states robots.

Cylindrical Configuration
It uses a vertical column and a slide that can be moved up or
down along the column. The robot arm is attached to the slide so that
it can be moved radially wet column or direction.
Base can not rotate to an angle of (360o) due to restriction
imposed by hydrollic, pre????? Or electrical connections or lines.
By rotating the column robot is capable of achieving a
woebspace that approximates a cylinder e.g. GMF Model.

Cortesian configuration( xyz or box type)

This configuration uses three perpendicular slides to construct x,
y, z axes. By moving the three slides relative to one another, robot is
capable of operating with in a reachangular woeb envolpe. In terms of
repeatability of motion the box frame possess the advantage because
of its inchrently rigid structure. It has high rigidiling and thus more
load carrying capacity. E.g. RS-I robot.
Joined arm configuration or articulated robot.
In this all the links of robot are pivoted and hence can move in a
rotary or revolute manner. Its configuration is similar to the human
arm. It consist of two straight components are connected by two
rotary joints corresponding to shoulder and elbow. A wrest is attached
to the forearm, thus providing additional joints. The was envelope of
this type of robot is close to sphere. Reach of this type of robot is
excellent and ability of robot to reach into small opening without
interference with sides of opening is important.
The advantage of this type of robot is that, it is possible to reach
close to the base of the robot, over any obstacles which are there in
the wars space.
These are of many types like parallogram jointed, jointed
cylindrical, pure spherical etc. e.g. SCARA robot.

Classification by control method

This method of classification looks at the technique used to
control various axes of robot.

Non servo-controlled robots:

Other name given to these is limited sequence robot. The major
characteristics of device is that their axes remain in motion until the
limits of travel (or and stops) for each are reached. Thus only two
position for individual axis are assumed. Non selvo emplies that once
the manipulator has begin to move, it well continue to do so, until
appropriate and stop is reached. There will be no monitoring of the
motion at intermediate points. So, this class of robot is controlled in an
open look manner.
 Programming of a limited sequence robot is accomplished by
setting a desired sequence of moves and adjusting the end stops
accordingly. A typical operating sequence for a hydraulic or prenumatic
non servo controlled robot is as follows: