Unit 1: 6 Hrs

Lecture 1
Introduction: Basic Concepts, laws of Robotics, Robot
anatomy, Classification

Lecture 2
structure of robots, point to point and continuous path
robotic systems.

Lecture 3
Robot performance- resolution, accuracy, repeatability,
dexterity, compliance, RCC device, Applications.

Lecture 4 Robot Grippers: Types of Grippers, Design of gripper

Lecture 5 Force analysis for various basic gripper systems

Lecture 6 Mechanical, Hydraulic and Pneumatic systems.

 Basic concept & Introduction:
• An industrial robot is a reprogrammable, multifunction
manipulator designed to move materials, parts, tools and special
devices through variable programmed motions for the
performance of variety of tasks.
• Relation between Automation and Robotics
• Roll of Robotics in science fiction

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Three laws of Robotics:

First: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction,

allow a human being to come to harm.

Second: A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings,

except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Third: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such

protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Robot Anatomy:
• Robot anatomy is concerned with the physical construction of the
body, arm, and wrist of the machine.
• Most robots used in plants today are mounted on a base which is
fastened to the floor.
• The body is attached to the base and the arm assembly is attached
to the body.
• At the end of the arm is the wrist. The wrist consists of a number
of components that allow it to be oriented in a variety of positions.
• Relative movements between the various components of the body,
arm, and wrist are provided by a series of joints.
• These joint movements usually involve either rotating or sliding
motions.
• The body, arm, and wrist assembly is sometimes called the
manipulator.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Attached to the robot’s wrist is a hand. The technical name for the
hand is “end effectors” .The end effector is not considered as part
of the robot’s anatomy. The arm and body joints of the
manipulator are used to position the end effector, and the wrist
joints of the manipulator are used to orient the end effector.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Classification of Robots:
• Based on Types of drive technology employed / actuators,
1. Electrical drives
2. Hydraulic drives
3. Pneumatic drives
4. Combination of above.
• Based on work envelope/ work space / work volume,
1. Cartesian / Rectangular / XYZ / Gantry Robots (IBM RS1)
2. Cylindrical coordinate robot (Prab Versatran Model F600)
3. Spherical / Polar coordinate robot (SCARA Unimate series
2000B/4000, IRB 90S/2)
4. Articulated / jointed arm / revolute robots (Puma
500/600/250).

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Based on motion control,
1. Pick and place robots (m/c loading and unloading robot).
2. Point to point robots (robots used in processing operation).
3. Continuous path robots (assembly and spot welding types
robots).
• Based on intelligence,
1. First generation (Dumb Robot)
2. Second generation (Clever with sensor)
3. Third generation (implemented with artificial intelligence)
4. Fourth generation (androids, humanoids, droids, bipeds, bio-
bots, microbots, nanobots etc.)

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Structure/ components of Robot:
1. The manipulator, which is the robot’s arm, consists of segments
jointed together with axes capable of motion in various
directions allowing the robot to perform work.
2. The end effecter which is a gripper tool, a special device, or
fixture attached to the robot’s arm, actually performs the work.
3. Power supply provides and regulates the energy that is converted
to motion by the robot actuator, and it may be electric,
pneumatic, or hydraulic.
4. The controller initiates, terminates, and coordinates the motion
of sequences of a robot. Also it accepts the necessary inputs to
the robot and provides the outputs to interface with the outside
world.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Robot configuration:

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Robot joints:

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Advantages of Industrial robots
1. Quality improved with less error.
2. Production increased with better accuracy.
3. Safety while working in hazardous applications.
4. Saving in time, money etc.
Disadvantages of Industrial robots
5. Expenses for installment, maintenance and operations.
6. ROI (Return on Investment)
7. Expertise needed for smooth operations.
8. Safety, sometimes robots leads to hazardous operations for
human being.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Work volume
The space within which the robot can manipulate its wrist end.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Types of robot controls:
1. Limited sequence robots
2. Playback with point to point
3. Playback with continuous path.
4. Intelligent robots.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

1.Limited-sequence robots
• they do not use servo-control to indicate relative positions of the joints.
• they are controlled by setting limit switches and/or mechanical stops to
establish the endpoints of travel for each of their joints.
• With this method of control, the individual joints can only be moved to their
extreme limits of travel.
• The sequence in which the motion cycle is played out is defined by a
pegboard or stepping switch or other sequencing device.
• There is generally no feedback associated with a limited-sequence robot to
indicate that the desired position has been achieved.
• Any of the three drive systems can be used with this type of control system;
however, pneumatic drive seems to be the type most commonly employed.
• Applications for this type of robot generally involve simple motions, such as
pick-and-place operations.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Playback robots
• They use a more sophisticated control unit in which a series of
Positions or motions are "taught" to the robot, recorded into
memory, and then repeated by the robot under its own control.
• The term "playback" is descriptive of this general mode of
operation.
• The procedure of teaching and recording into memory is
referred to as programming the robot.
• Playback robots usually have some form of servo-control (e.g.,
closed loop feedback system) to ensure that the
• positions achieved by the robot are the positions that have been
taught.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

2. Playback with Point-to-point
• These robots are capable of Performing motion cycles that
consist of series of desired point locations and related actions.
• The robot is taught each point, and these points are recorded
into the robots control unit.
• During playback, the robot is controlled to move from one
point to another in the proper sequence.
• Point-to-point robots do not control the path taken by the robot
to get from one point to the next.
• If the Programmer wants to exercise a limited amount of
control over the path followed, this must be done by
programming a series of points along the desired path.
• Control of the sequence of positions is quite adequate for many
kinds of applications, including loading and unloading
machines and spot welding.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
3. Playback with Continuous-path robots
• these are capable of performing motion cycles in which the path
followed by the robot is controlled.
• the robot move through a series of closely spaced points which
describe the desired path.
• The individual points are defined by the control unit rather than the
programmer.
• Straight line motion is a common form of continuous-path control for
industrial robots.
• The programmer specifies the starting point and the end point of the
path, and the control unit calculates the Sequence of individual points
that permit the robot to follow a straight line trajectory.
• Today this usually involves the use of a microprocessor based digital
computer.
• Application includes, spray coating and arc welding etc.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
4.Intelligent robots
• They have the capability not only to play back a programmed motion
cycle but also to interact with its environment in a way that seems
intelligent.
• The controller unit consists of a digital computer or similar device
(e.g., programmable controller).
• Intelligent robots can alter their programmed cycle in response to
conditions that occur in the workplace.
• They can make logical decisions based on sensor data received from
the operation. The robots in this class have the capacity to
communicate during the work cycle with humans or computer-based
systems.
• Programs can be generated using high level English like languages.
• Typical applications for intelligent robots are assembly tasks, space
applications, under sea, nuclear applications, defense applications. etc.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
• Robot performance characteristics:
Robot performance can be measured by its dynamic
characteristics. i.e. when it is in motion.
1. Stability
2. Resolution
a) Spatial
b) control
3. Accuracy
a) Global
b) Local
3. Repeatability
a) Unidirectional
b) bidirectional
3. Dexterity
4. Compliance N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
1.Resolution
• It is the smallest increment of movement into which the robot can divide its
work volume.
• It depends on the system control resolution and robot mechanical inaccuracies.
• The control resolution is the controller’s ability to divide the total range of
movement for the particular joint into individual increments that can be
addressed in the controller. The increments are sometimes referred to as
“addressable points.”
• Mechanical inaccuracies come from elastic deflection in the structural
members, gear backlash, stretching of pulley cords, leakage of hydraulic fluids,
and other imperfections in the mechanical system. Also factors like the load
being handled, the speed with which the arm is moving, the condition of
maintenance of the robot, and other similar factors.
• The spatial resolution of the robot is the control resolution degraded by these
mechanical inaccuracies.
• Spatial resolution can be improved by increasing the bit capacity of the control
memory.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
2. Accuracy
• Accuracy refers to a robot’s ability to position its wrist end at a
desired target point within the work volume.
• The accuracy of a robot can be defined in terms of spatial resolution
because the ability to achieve a given target point depends on how
closely the robot can define the control increments for each of its joint
motions.
• the accuracy is improved if the, motion cycle is restricted to a limited
work range.
• The mechanical errors will be reduced when the robot is exercised
through a restricted range of motions. The robot’s ability to reach a
particular reference point within the limited work space is sometimes
called its local accuracy.
• The factor influencing accuracy is the load being carried by the robot.
heavier workloads cause greater deflection of the mechanical links of
the robot, resulting lowerN. Ravikant's
accuracy. Notes on Robotics
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
3. Repeatability
• Repeatability is concerned with the robot’s ability to position
its wrist or an end effector attached to its wrist at a point in
space that had previously been taught to the robot.
• Repeatability refers to the robot’s ability to return to the
programmed point when commanded to do so.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• It would he convenient if the repeatability errors formed a nice
bell-shaped curve, suggesting a normally distributed random
variable.
• repeatability error of a robot with live or six axes is approximately
normal, even if the error due to each individual axis is not normal.
• A robot manufacturer typically quotes the repeatability of its
manipulator as the radius of the idealized sphere. usually
expressing the specification as plus or minus a particular value.
• The size of the sphere tend to be larger in the regions of the work
volume that are further away from the center of the robot.
• It is likely that the shape of the sphere is not perfectly round, but
instead it is oblong in certain directions due to compliance of the
robot arm.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

4. Compliance
• The compliance of the robot manipulator refers to the
displacement of the wrist end in response to a force or torque
exerted against it.
• A high compliance (springy) means that the wrist is displaced a
large amount by a relatively small force and vice versa.
• Compliance is important because it reduces the robot’s precision
of movement under load.
• If the robot is handling a heavy load, the weight of the load will
cause the robot arm to deflect.
• If the robot is pressing a tool against a work part, the reaction
force of the part may cause deflection of the manipulator.
• If the robot has been programmed under no-load conditions to
position its end effector, and accuracy of position is important in
the application, the robot’s performance will be degraded
because of compliance when it operates under loaded conditions.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

5. Dexterity:
• the capability of changing the position and orientation of the
manipulated object from a given reference configuration to a
different one, arbitrarily chosen within the hand workspace”
• The process of manipulating an object from one grasp
configuration to another.
• When multiple manipulators, or fingers, cooperate to grasp and
manipulate objects.
• The kinematic extent over which a manipulator can reach all
orientations.
• Skill in use of hands.
• The utilized definition of dexterity is anthropocentric, denoting
precision manipulation tasks primarily between fingertips and
other small finger-like appendage.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Dexterity in general refers to the variety of tasks that the system
can complete, and also how well it can perform those tasks,
through the means by which that can be quantified.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
• RCC device:
1. In robotics, a Remote Center Compliance, Remote Center of
Compliance or RCC is a mechanical device that facilitates
automated assembly by preventing peg-like objects from
jamming when they are inserted into a hole with less clearance.
2. As the robot's gripper is not perfectly stiff, the peg will tend to
rotate about an axis in the plane of the gripper's fingers, called
the center of compliance.
3. The RCC is typically placed between the robot's wrist and the
gripper, though it can be built into the gripper itself.
4. The RCC lets the gripper assembly move in the plane
perpendicular to the peg's axis, allowing the peg to rotate about
an axis in the plane of the top of the hole, effectively moving
the center of compliance from the gripper to the hole.
5. With the RCC, the forces generated by any misalignment move
the peg in a way that corrects the problem, rather than
exacerbate it.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
A number of socioeconomic Impacts Identified as,
 Productivity and capital formation
 Labor
1. Unemployment, displacement or job shifting
2. Positive or negative effects on the quality of the working
environment.
3. (such as exposure to hazards, job boredom, and
employer/employee relations).
 Education and training
1. Need for technological specialists.
2. Need for a technologically literate work force.
3. Need for retraining workers.
 International Impacts
1. import/export of robotics technology.
2. Contribution to economic competitiveness.
 Steps to resolve human relation problems.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
List of formulae for solving numerical:
n  bit storage capacity
stroke length
control resolution 
2n
σ  standerd deviation
spatial resolution  control resolution  6σ
control resolutoin
accuracy   3σ
2
spatial resolution

2
Repeatabil ity of the link   3

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

UOP Numerical:
1. A telescopic arm of one of the links of the robot has a stoke of
900 mm. the robot control memory has 8-bit storage capacity for
the axis. Determine control resolution for it. (Ans: 3.5156mm)
2. For a Cartesian robot with a slide range of 1500mm and control
resolution of 5mm, find the bit storage capacity which control
memory must posses to get level of precision. (Ans: 8.2288)
3. A twisting joint of a robot wrist can be rotated through
8 revolutions from start to end positions. It is required to have
control resolution of rotation of ± 0.4. determine the bit storage
capacity to get this resolution. (Ans: 12)
4. For a prismatic joint of a cylindrical robot a range of travel is
1000mm, bit storage capacity is 10 and standard deviation of
error is 0.09mm. determine the control resolution, spatial
resolution, the accuracy and repeatability of the link.
(Ans: 0.9765mm, 1.5165mm, 0.7582mm,± 0.27mm)
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
• An end effector is device that attaches to the wrist of the robot
arm that enables the general purpose robot to perform a specific
task.
• The end effectors are classified in two types,
1. The grippers
2. Tools
• Grippers are end effectors used to grasp and hold the objects
which are the parts to be moved by the robot.
• These part handling application includes machine
loading/unloading , picking parts from a conveyor, palletizing and
de-palletizing operations.
• In addition to work parts, other Objects handled by robot grippers
include cartons, bottles, raw materials, and tools.
• gripper is a mechanical grasping devices, but there are alternative
ways of holding objects involving the use of magnets, suction
cups, or other means.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Characteristics of gripper:
1. Gripper must be capable of grasping, lifting and releasing the
part as individual family of parts required by the process.
2. Grippers senses the presence of the part with gripping action.
3. Weight of the tooling must kept to a minimum value.
4. The gripper should be simple id design, accurate in operation,
economical and free of maintenance.
5. Containment of the tooling part must be assured under conditions
of maximum velocity and loss of holding power.
6. In order to accommodate overload conditions and safeguarding,
gripper must be equipped with collision sensor.
7. The gripper for industrial robots, in a repetitive operation,
requires minimum gripping dextirity.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Gripper classification:
According to grasping device,
1. Single gripper
2. Double gripper
3. Multiple gripper
According to the surface geometry of the part,
4. Exterior surface
5. Internal surface
According to number of DOF
6. One DOF
7. Multiple DOF
According to the type of mechanism,
8. Mechanical
9. Vacuum type
10.Magnetic
11.Adhesive
12.Miscellaneous (hooks, scoops, etc)
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Single or double gripper:
• The single gripper is distinguished by the fact that only one
grasping device is mounted on the robot’s wrist.
• A double gripper has two gripping devices attached to the wrist
and is used to handle two separate objects. The two gripping
devices can be actuated independently.
• The double gripper is especially useful in machine loading and
unloading applications.
• Suppose that a particular job calls for a raw work part to be loaded
from a conveyor onto a machine and the finished part to be
unloaded onto another conveyor.
• With a single gripper, the robot would have to unload the finished
part before picking up the raw part.
• This would consume valuable time in the production cycle
because the machine would
• have to remain open during these handling motions.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
• In double gripper, the robot can pick the part from the incoming
conveyor with one of the gripping devices and have it ready to
exchange for the finished part.
• When the machine cycle is completed, the robot can reach in for
the finished part with the available grasping device, and insert the
raw part into the machine with the other grasping device.
• The amount of time that the machine is open is minimized.
• The term multiple gripper is applied in the case where two or
more grasping mechanisms are fastened to the wrist.
• Double grippers are a subset of multiple grippers. The occasions
when more than two grippers would be required are somewhat
rare.
• There is also a cost and reliability penalty which accompanies an
increasing number of gripper devices on one robot arm.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Another way of classifying grippers depends on whether the part
is grasped on its exterior
• surface or its internal surface, for example, a ring- shaped part.
The first type is called an external
• gripper and the second type is referred to as an internal gripper.
• The tool-type end effecter is attached to the robot’s wrist. One of
the most common
• applications of industrial robots is spot welding, in which the
welding
• electrodes constitute the end effecter of the robot.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

MECHANICAL GRIPPERS
• A mechanical gripper is an end effecter that uses mechanical
fingers actuated by a mechanism to grasp an object.
• The fingers, sometimes called jaws, are the appendages of the
gripper that actually make contact with the object.
• If the fingers are of the attachable type, then they can be detached
and replaced.
• The use of replaceable fingers allows for wear and inters
changeability.
• An example, the gripper is designed to accommodate fingers of
varying sizes.
• In most applications, two fingers are sufficient to hold the work
part or other object.
• The function of the gripper mechanism is to translate some form of
power
• input into the grasping action of the fingers against the part.
• The power input is supplied from the robot and can be pneumatic,
electric, mechanical, or hydraulic.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Types of Gripper Mechanisms
• One method is according to the type of linger movement used by
the gripper. In this classification, the grippers can actuate the
opening and closing of the fingers by one of the following
motions.
• In the pivoting movement, the fingers rotate about fixed pivot
points on the gripper to open and close. The motion is usually
accomplished by some kind of linkage mechanism.
• In the linear movement The fingers open and close by moving in
parallel to each other. This is accomplished by means of guide
rails so that each finger base slides along a guide rail during
actuation.
• The translational flinger movement might also be accomplished
by means of a linkage which would maintain the fingers in a
parallel orientation to each other during actuation.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Mechanical grippers can also be classed according to the type of
kinematic device used to actuate the finger movement. In this
classification we have, the following types:
1. Linkage actuation
2. Gear-and-rack actuation (piston movement)
3. Cam actuation (spring loaded follower)
4. Screw actuation
5. Rope-and-pulley actuation
6. Miscellaneous

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Vacuum grippers:
• The usual requirements on the objects to be handled are that they
be flat, smooth and clean, conditions necessary, form a
satisfactory vacuum between the object and the suction cup.
• The vacuum is used as a gripping force. The lifting power is a
function of the degree of a vacuum achieved and the size of the
area on the part where the vacuum is applied.
• It works on Bernoulli's principal where suction is created by using
compressed air. The relative high vacuum is created by vacuum
generator powered by an electric motor.
• They are simple in construction and have extreme light weight.
• The number, size and type of cups use will depend on the weight,
size and shape and type of material being handled.
• They are round and oval in shape.
• They can be used on curved and contoured and flat surfaces.
• Application lies in lifting fragile parts such as glass, pans of glass,
large lightweight boxes,N.flexible soft
Ravikant's Notes materials.
on Robotics
Advantages:
1. They require only one surface to grasp the part.
2. They apply a uniform pressure on surface of the part.
3. They need a relatively lightweight gripper.
4. They are suitable to a verity of different materials.
5. They have a very low cost.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Magnetic Grippers
• Magnetic grippers can be a very feasible means of handling
ferrous materials.
• They employ a magnetic field created by an electromagnet or
permanent magnet.
• Advantages
1. Pickup times are very fast.
2. Variation in part size can be tolerated. The gripper does not
have to be designed for one particular work part.
3. They have the ability to handle metal parts with holes (not
possible with vacuum grippers).
4. They require only one surface for gripping.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Disadvantages with magnetic grippers include the residual
magnetism remaining in the work piece which may cause a
problem in subsequent handling, and the possible side slippage
and other errors which limit the precision of this means of
handling.
• Another potential disadvantage of a magnetic gripper is the
problem of picking up only one sheet from a stack. The magnetic
attraction tends to penetrate beyond the top sheet in the stack.
Resulting in the possibility that more than a single sheet will be
lifted by the magnet.
This problem can he confronted in several ways.
• First, magnetic grippers can he designed to limit the effective
penetration to the desired depth, which would correspond to the
thickness of the top sheet.
• Second, the stacking device used to hold the sheets can be
designed to separate the sheets for pickup by the robot.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Magnetic grippers can be divided into two categories,
• Those using electromagnets, and those using permanent magnets.
• Electromagnetic grippers are easier to control, but require a source of
dc power and an appropriate controller unit.
• As with any other robotic-gripping device, the part must be released
at the end of the handling cycle.
• This is easier to accomplish with an electromagnet than with a
permanent magnet.
• When the part is to be released. The controller unit reverses the
polarity at a reduced power level before switching on the
electromagnet.
• Permanent magnets are often considered for handling tasks in
hazardous
• environments requiring explosion proof apparatus.
• The fact that no electrical circuit is needed to operate the magnet
reduces the danger of sparks which might cause ignition in such an
environment. N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Adhesive grippers
• Gripper designs in which an adhesive substance performs the
grasping action can be used to handle fabrics and other light
weight materials.
• The requirements on the items to be handled are that they must be
gripped on one side only that other forms of grasping such as a
vacuum or magnet appropriate.
• One of the potential limitations of adhesive gripper is that the
adhesive substance loses its tackiness on repeated usage.
• Consequently its reliability as a gripping device is diminished
with each successive operation cycle.
• To overcome this limitation, the adhesive material is loaded in the
form of a continuous ribbon into a feeding mechanism that is
attached to the robot wrist.
• The feeding mechanism operates in a manner similar to a
typewriter ribbon mechanism.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Hooks, scoops, and other miscellaneous devices
• Hooks can be used as end effectors to handle containers of parts
and to load and unload parts hanging from overhead conveyors
with some sort of handle to enable the hook to hold it.
• Scoops and ladles can be used to handle certain materials in liquid
powder form.
• Chemicals in liquid or powder form, food materials, granular
substances, and molten metals are all examples of materials that
can be handled by a robot using this method of holding.
• Other types of grippers include inflatable devices, in which an
inflatable bladder or diaphragm is expanded to grasp the object.
• A gripping device with the number of joints and axes of controlled
motion as the human hand is mechanically very complex.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Tools as End Effectors
• In many applications, the robot is required to manipulate a tool
rather than a Work part.
• In a limited number of these applications, the end effecter is a
gripper that is designed to grasp and handle the tool.
• The reason for using a gripper in these applications is that there
may be more than one tool to be used by the robot in the work
cycle.
• The use of a gripper permits the tools to be exchanged during the
cycle, and thus facilitates this multi tool handling function.
• In most of the robot applications in which a tool is manipulated, the
tool is attached directly to the robot wrist.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Some examples of tools used as end effectors in robot applications
include:
1. Spot-welding tools
2. Arc-welding torch
3. Spray-painting nozzle
4. Rotating spindles for operations such as:
• Drilling
• Routing
• Wire brushing
• Grinding
• Liquid cement applicators for assembly
• Heating torches
• Water jet cutting tool

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

THE ROBOT/END EFFECTOR INTERFACE
• An important aspect of the end effecter applications engineering
involves the interfacing of the end effecter with the robot. This
interface must accomplish at least some of the following
functions:
• Physical support of the end effecter during the work cycle must be
provided.
• Power to actuate the end effector must be supplied through the
interface.
• Control signals to actuate the end effector must be provided.
• Other aspects include high reliability of the interface, protection
against the environment, and overload protection in case of
disturbances and unexpected events during the work cycle.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Physical support of the end effector
• The physical support of the end effector is achieved by the mechanical
Connection between the end effector and the robot wrist.
• This mechanical connection often consists of a faceplate at the end of the wrist
to which the end effector is bolted.
• In other cases, a more complicated wrist socket is used Considering strength,
compliance, and overload protection.
• The strength of the mechanical connection refers to its ability to withstand the
forces associated with the operation of the end effector.
• These forces include the weight of the end effector; the weight of the objects
being held by the end effector if it is a gripper, acceleration and deceleration
forces, and any applied forces during the work cycle (e.g., thrust forces during a
drilling operation). The wrist socket must provide sufficient strength and rigidity
to support the end effector against these various forces.
• The second consideration in the design of the mechanical connection is
compliance.
• Compliance refers to the wrist socket’s ability to yield elastically when
subjected to a force.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• In some applications, it is desirable to design the mechanical
interface so that it will yield during the work cycle. E.g. robot
assembly work
• Certain assembly operations require the insertion of an object into
a hole where there is very little clearance between the hole and the
object to be inserted.
• If an attempt is made to insert the object off center, it is likely that
the object will bind against the sides of the hole.
• Human assembly workers can make adjustments in the position of
the object as it enters the hole using hand-eye coordination and
their sense of “touch.”
• Robots have difficulty with this kind of insertion task because of
limitations on their accuracy.
• To overcome these limitations, remote center compliance (RCC)
devices have been designed to provide high lateral compliance for
centering the object relative to the hole in response to sideways
forces encountered during insertion.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Overload protection.
• An overload results when some unexpected event happens to the
end effector such as a part becoming stuck in a die, or a tool
getting caught in a moving conveyor.
• Whatever the cause, the consequences involve possible damage to
the end effector or maybe even the robot itself. Overload
protection is intended to eliminate or reduce this potential
damage.
• The protection can be provided either by means of a breakaway
feature in the wrist socket or by using sensors to indicate that an
unusual event has occurred so as to somehow take preventive
action to reduce further overloading of the end effector.
• A breakaway feature is a mechanical device that will either break
or yield when subjected to a high force.
• Such a device is generally designed to accomplish its breakaway
function when the force loading exceeds a certain specific level.
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
• A shear pin is an example of a device that is designed to fail if
subjected to a shear force above a certain value. It is relatively
inexpensive and its purpose as a component in the mechanical
interface is to be sacrificed in order to save the end effector and
the robot. The disadvantage of a device that breaks is that it must
be replaced and this generally involves downtime and the
attention of a human operator.
• Some mechanical devices are designed to yield or give under
unexpected load rather than fail. Examples of these devices
include spring-loaded detents and other mechanisms used to hold
structural components in place during normal operation. When
abnormal conditions are encountered, these mechanisms snap out
of position to release the structural components.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

• Sensors are sometimes used either as an alternative to a
breakaway device or in conjunction with such a device. The
purpose of the sensors in this context is to signal the robot
controller that an unusual event is occurring in the operation of the
end effector and that some sort of evasive action should be taken
to avoid or reduce damage. Of course, the kinds of unusual events
must be anticipated in advance so that the robot controller can be
program med to respond in the appropriate way.
• For example, if the robot is working in a cell with a moving
conveyor, and the end effector becomes caught in a part that is
fastened to the conveyor, the most appropriate response might be
simply to stop the conveyor and call for help. In other cases the
robot might he programmed to perform motions that would
remove the end effector from the cause of the unusual force
loading.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Considerations in robot gripper selection and design
1. The parts surface to be grasped must be reachable. For example, it must not be
enclosed within a chuck or other holding devices.
2. The size variation of the part must be accounted for, and how this might
influence the accuracy of locating the part. For example, there might be a
problem in placing a rough casting or forging into a chuck for machining
operations.
3. The gripper design must accommodate the change in size that occurs between
part loading and unloading. For example, the part size is reduced in machining
and forging operations.
4. Consideration must be given to the potential problem of scratching and
distorting the part during gripping, if the part is fragile or has delicate surfaces.
5. If there is a choice between two different dimensions on a part, the larger
dimension should be selected for grasping. Holding the part by its larger
surface will provide better control and stability of the part in positioning.
6. Gripper fingers can be designed to conform to the part shape by using resilient
pads or self-aligning fingers. The reason for using self-aligning fingers is to
ensure that each finger makes contact with the part in more than one place. This
provides better part control and physical stability. Use of replaceable fingers
will allow for wear and also for interchangeability
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics or different part models.
The important factors that determine the required grasping force
are:
1. The weight of the object.
2. Consideration of whether the part can be grasped consistently
about its center of mass. If not, an analysis of the possible
moments from off-center grasping should be considered.
3. The speed and acceleration with which the robot arm moves
(acceleration and deceleration forces), and the orientation
relationship between the direction of movement and the position
of the fingers on the object (whether the movement is parallel or
perpendicular to the finger surface contacting the part).
4. Whether physical constriction or friction is used to hold the part.
Coefficient of friction between the object and the gripper fingers.

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Factors in selection and design of gripper:
condition Factors
Parts to be 1. Weight and size
handled 2. Shape
3. Changes in shape during processing
4. Tolerances on the part size
5. Surface condition. protection of delicate surfaces

Actuation method 1. Mechanical grasping

2. Vacuum cup
3. Magnet
4. Other methods (adhesives. scoops. etc.)

Gripper force 1. Weight of the object

2. Method of holding (physical constriction or
friction)
3. Coefficient of friction between fingers and object
4. Speed and acceleration during motion cycle
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Power and 1. Pneumatic
signal 2. Electrical
transmission 3. Hydraulic
4. Mechanical

Positioning 1. Length of fingers

problem 2. Inherent accuracy and repeatability of robot
3. Tolerances on the part size
Service 1. Number of actuations during lifetime of gripper
conditions 2. Replace ability of wear components (fingers)
3. Maintenance and serviceability

Operating 1. Heat and temperature

environment 2. Humidity, moisture, dirt. chemicals

Temperature 1. Heal shields

problems 2. Long fingers
3. Forced cooling (compressed air, water cooling. etc.)
4. Use of heat-resistant materials
N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics
Fabrication 1. Strength, rigidity, durability
materials 2. Fatigue strength
3. Cost and ease of fabrication
4. Friction properties for finger surfaces
5. Compatibility with operating environment
Other 1. Use of interchangeable fingers
conditions 2. Design standards
3. Mounting connections and interfacing with robot
4. Risk of product design changes and their effect on
the gripper design
5. Lead time for design and fabrication
6. Spare parts, maintenance, and service
7. Tryout of the gripper in production

N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics

Gripper design criteria:
1. They must be strong and durable.
2. They must have light weight.
3. They must have dimensional stability and be able to hold the work
piece orientation under high gravitational forces.
4. They must have some built in compliance or automatic alignment
capability accommodate positioning tolerance.
5. They must be fast acting and maintainable.
Complete the
Manufacturing

Gripper
Design

Grasp and hold the Match the abilities of the

object securely N. Ravikant's Notes on Robotics arm and controller