Automated Workspace-Visualization for Serial and Parallel Robots

Abstract

In this article a numerical MATLAB algorithm is presented to visualize the workspace of serial and parallel kinematics. For serial kinematics the Monte Carlo Method is used to convert the inputted DH-Parameters to a scatter plot of the reachable workspace. The article gives also a detailed insight into the processing of these scatter plot to find and visualize the boundary points of the workspace. With these boundary points the algorithm generates sectional views in all three dimensions and a three-dimensional visualization. For parallel kinematics the algorithm can import a given scatter plot from an external MAT-file. The result of the algorithm is shown on a serial kinematic with six degrees of freedom (ABB IRB 140).