Characterization of Robotic Operations for Dual-Arm Robots With Cooperating Manipulators

Abstract

Abstract Cooperating manipulators in dual-arm robots usually result in a mechanically overconstrained system having more actuator resources than freedom of motion, or an excess of actuator inputs. This redundancy in drivability condition provides the opportunity for choice, or decision, the fundamental quality of an intelligent machine. There are in general an infinite number of selections for actuator inputs and resultant internal load states to satisfy a specified output load state and motion trajectory in a dual-arm robot with cooperating manipulators. A geometric operation descriptor provides the fundamental geometric relationships for motion and constraint in cooperative dual-arm robotic operations. Cooperative modes of operation for dual-arm robots are characterized using the geometric operation descriptor to provide a basis of solution to the redundancy in drivability of the system. Modes of operation involving single objects as well as two-object operations are described for the dual-arm robot with cooperating manipulators.