CLASSIFICATION OF

ROBOTS
Robots can be classified by four fundamental
elements of operation:
 Coordinate systems
 Power source
 Method of control
 Programming method
 Coordinate systems
 Cartesian/Rectilinear Robot: The axis or dimensions of
these robots are 3 intersecting straight lines (x-y-z) The
Cartesian coordinate robot is one that consists of a column
and an arm.
 Itis sometimes called an x-y-z robot, indicating the axis of
motion. The x-axis is lateral motion, the y-axis is
longitudinal motion, and the z-axis is vertical motion.
 Thus, the arm can move up and down on the z-axis; the
arm can slide along its base on the x axis; and then it can
telescope to move to and from the work area on the y-
axis.
 The features of a Cartesian robot (electronic equipment,
control program) are same as those of CNC machine tools.
 Cartesian robots are not preferred in the industry because
they do not have mechanical flexibility (i.e., they cannot
reach objects that lie on the floor or that are not visible
from their base).
 Also, speed of operation on a horizontal plane is usually
less than the corresponding speed of robots with a
revolute base.
Application of
Cartesian/Rectilinear Robot:
 Pick and place work
 Application of sealant
 Assembly operations
 Handling machine tools
 Arc welding
Advantage of
Cartesian/Rectilinear Robot:
 Ability to do straight line insertions into furnaces
 Easy computation and programming
 Most rigid structure for given length
Disadvantage of
Cartesian/Rectilinear Robot:
 Exposed guiding surfaces require covering in
corrosive or dusty environments
 Requires large operating volume
 Axis hard to seal
 Coordinate systems
 CylindricalRobot: Cylindrical robots have one angular
dimension and 2 linear dimensions The rigid structure of this
system offers them the capability to lift heavy loads through a
large working envelope.
 Themain body of such a robot consists of a horizontal arm
mounted on a vertical column. The column is mounted on a
rotating base.
 Thehorizontal arm moves forward and backward on the
direction of the longitudinal axis and it also moves up and
down on the column.
 Column and arm are rotating on the base around the
vertical axis.
 Resolutionof a cylindrical robot is not constant, but
depends on the distance between the column and the tool
along the horizontal arm
Application of Cylindrical
Robot
 Assembly operations
 Handling machine tools
 Spot-welding
 Handling die-casting machines
Advantages of Cylindrical
Robot
 Can reach all around itself
 Rotational axis easy to seal
 Relatively easy programming
 Rigid enough to handle heavy loads through large
working space Good access into cavities and machine
openings
Disadvantages of Cylindrical
Robot
 Can’t reach above itself
 Won’t reach around obstacles
 Exposed drives are difficult to cover from dust
and liquids Linear axes is hard to seal
Coordinate systems
 Spherical (Polar) Robot: Robots of this type consist of a
rotating base, a lifting part, and a telescopic arm, which
moves inwards and outwards .
 The 2 dimensions of spherical robots are angles and the
third is a linear distance from the point of origin.
 These robots operate according to spherical coordinates and
offer greater flexibility. This design is used where a small
number of vertical actions are adequate.
Application of Spherical (Polar)
Robot
 Assembly operations
 Die casting Fettling machines
 Gas welding Arc welding
 Spray-painting
Advantage of Spherical (Polar)
Robot
 High mechanical flexibility
 They can move with high speed at three
degrees of freedom
 All joints can be sealed from the environment
Disadvantage of Spherical
(Polar) Robot
 Extremely difficult to visualize, control, and
program
 Restricted volume coverage Low accuracy
Coordinate systems
 SCARA Robot: One style of robot that has recently
become quite popular is a combination of the articulated
arm and the cylindrical robot.
 This
robot has more than three axes and is called a SCARA
robot). It is used widely in electronic assembly. The rotary
axes are mounted vertically rather than horizontally.
 Thisconfiguration minimizes the robot’s deflection when it
carries an object while moving at a programmed speed.
The acronym SCARA stands for Selective Compliance
Assembly Robot Arm, a particular design developed in the
late 1970s.
Application of SCARA Robot

 Pick and place work

 High speed
 Excellent repeatability
 Good payload capacity
 Large work area for floor space
 Moderately easy to program
Disadvantages of SCARA
Robot
 Limited applications
 Two ways to reach point
 Difficult to program off-line
 Highly complex arm
Power source
 Hydraulic Drive System The most popular form of the
drive system is the hydraulic drive system because
hydraulic cylinders and motors are compact and allow for
high levels of force and power, together with accurate
control.
 Thesesystems are driven by a fluid that is pumped through
motors, cylinders, or other hydraulic actuator mechanisms.
A hydraulic actuator converts forces from high pressure
hydraulic fluid into the mechanical shaft rotation or linear
motion.
 Hydraulicrobots are preferred in environments in which the
use of electric drive robots may cause fire hazards, for
 Advantage of Hydraulic Drive
System
A hydraulic device can produce an enormous range of forces
without the need for gears, simply by controlling the flow of
fluid Preferred for moving heavy parts
 Preferred to be used in explosive environments
 Self-lubrication and selfcooling
 Smooth operation at low speeds
 There is need for return line
Disadvantages of Hydraulic
Drive System
 Occupy large space area
 There is a danger of oil leak to the shop floor
Power source
 Pneumatic Drive System Pneumatic drive systems are
found in approximately 30 percent of today’s robots. These
systems use compressed air to power the robots.
 Because machine shops typically have compressed air lines
in their working areas, the pneumatically driven robots are
very popular.
 These robots generally have fewer axis of movement and
can carry out simple pick-and place material-handling
operations, such as picking up an object at one location and
placing it at another location. These operations are generally
simple and have short cycle times. The pneumatic power can
be used for sliding or rotational joints.
 Advantages of Pneumatic
Power system
 Less expensive than electric or hydraulic robots
 Suitable for relatively less degrees of freedom design
 Do not pollute work area with oils
 No return line required
 Pneumatic devices are faster to respond as compared to a
hydraulic system as air is lighter than fluid
Disadvantages of Pneumatic
Power system
 Compressibility of air limits control and accuracy
aspects
 Noisepollution from exhausts Leakage of air can be
of concern
Power source
 Electric Drive System Electrical drive systems are used
in about 20 percent of today’s robots. These systems are
servomotors, stepping motors, and pulse motors.
 These motors convert electrical energy into mechanical
energy to power the robot. Compared with a hydraulic
system, an electric system provides a robot with less
speed and strength.
 Electric drive systems are adopted for smaller robots.
Electrically driven robots are the most commonly
available and used industrial robots
 Power source
 Thereare three major types of electric drive that have
been used for robots:
 Stepper Motors: These are used mainly for simple pick and
place mechanisms where cost is more important than power
or controllability.
 DCServos: For the early electric robots, the DC servo drive
was used extensively. It gave good power output with a high
degree of control of both speed and position.
 AC Servos: In recent years, the AC servo has taken over
from the DC servo as the standard drive. These modern
motors give higher power output and are almost silent in
operation. As they have no brushes, they are very reliable
and require almost no maintenance in operation.
 Advantage of Electric Power
Source
 Good for small and medium size robots
 Better
positioning accuracy and repeatability Less
maintenance and reliability problems
Disadvantages Electric
Power Source
 Provides less speed and strength than hydraulic robots
 Notall electric motors are suited for use as actuators in
robots
 Require more sophisticated electronic controls and can
fail in high temperature, wet, or dusty environments
 Method of control
 Non-Servo Controlled Robots Non-servo control is a purely
mechanical system of stops and limit switches, which are pre-
programmed for specific repetitive movements.
 Thiscan provide accurate control for simple motions at low
cost. The motions of non-servo controlled robots are
controlled only at their endpoints, not throughout their paths.
 Non-servo robots are often referred as “endpoint,” “pick and
place,” or “limited sequence” robots. These robots are used
primarily for materials transfer.
 Characteristics of non-servo
robots include:
 Relatively
high speed possible due to smaller size of the
manipulator
 These
robots are low cost and simple to operate, program,
and maintain
 Theserobots have limited flexibility in terms of program
capacity and positioning capability
 Method of Control
 Servo Controlled Robots : Servo control system is capable
of controlling the velocity, acceleration, and path of motion,
from the beginning to the end of the path. It uses complex
control programs.
 Thesesystems use programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and
sensors to control the motions of robots. They are more flexible
than non-servo systems, and they can control complicated
motions smoothly.
 Sensorsare used in servo-control systems to track the position
of each of the axis of motion of the manipulator.
 Method of Control
 Point-to-Point Control Robot (PTP) A point-to-point robot
is capable of moving from one discrete point to another
within its working envelope.
 During point-to-point operation the robot moves to a position,
which is numerically defined, and it stops there. The end
effector performs the desired task,
 whilethe robot is halted. When task is completed, the robot
moves to the next point and the cycle is repeated. Such
robots are usually taught a series of points with a teach
pendant. The points are then stored and played back.
 Method of Control
 Continuous-path (CP) Control Robot In a continuous-path
robot, the tool performs its task, while the robot (its axes) is in
motion, like in the case of arc welding, where the welding
pistol is driven along the programmed path.
 Allaxes of continuous path robots move simultaneously, each
with a different speed. The computer coordinates the speeds
so that the required path is followed. The robot’s path is
controlled by storing a large number of spatial points in the
robot’s memory during the teach sequence.
 Duringteaching, and while the robot is being moved, the
coordinate points in space of each axis are continually
monitored and placed into the control system’s computer
memory. These are the most advanced robots and require
the most sophisticated computer controllers and software
development.
 Controlled-path Robot In controlled-path robots, the robot is
moved along a computer generated, predictable path as the
robot travels from point to point.
 Thecomputer-generated path may be a straight line with end-
effector orientation or it may involve curved paths through
successive points and/or gradual orientation changes. Good
accuracy can be obtained at any point along the specified
path.
 Onlythe start and finish points and the path definition
function must be stored in the robot’s control memory. The
robot movements are more precise than with point-to-point
programming and are less likely to present a hazard to
personnel and equipment.
 Online programming
 Lead-through programming
 Walk-through programming
 Offline programming
 Task programming
 Different Criteria for robot
Selection
 Size of class
 Degrees of freedom
 Velocity
 Drive type
 Control mode
 Repeatability
 Lift capacity
 Weight of the robot