B2382 - MECHANICS OF ROBOTS AND AUTOMATIC MACHINES

Learning outcomes

Students acquire the necessary tools to perform a functional analysis -aimed at designing purposes- of automatic machines and robots. In particular, students gain skills both from the theoretical viewpoint (kinematic, static and dynamic analyses of complex mechanisms) and from the practical one (kinetostatic simulations of planar and spatial mechanisms by menas of multibody software).

Course contents

1. INTRODUCTION TO AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS. Introduction. Origins and state of the art. Classification of robots. Aim of industrial Robotics. Main issues of industrial robotics. Precision and calibration.
2. STRUCTURE AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ROBOTS. Introduction. Structure of industrial robots: arm and wrist of a manipulator. End effectors, actuators, sensors. Controller. Programming methods and languages. Main characteristics of industrial robots. Parallel kinematic machines (hints).
3. COORDINATE TRANSFORMATION MATRICES. Introduction. Position and orientation of rigid bodies and reference systems. Matrices for the transformation of vector components and point coordinates. Rotations and translations. Homogeneous transformations.
4. KINEMATICS OF MANIPULATORS. Introduction. Kinematic model of a manipulator. Denavit-Hartenberg parameters and homogeneous transformation matrices. Kinematic equations. Direct and inverse kinematic problem. Jacobian of a manipulator. Singularities.
5. STATICS OF MANIPULATORS. Introduction. Analysis of forces and motion. Kinetostatic dualism. Force and moments balancing (hints).
6. DYNAMICS OF MANIPULATORS. Introduction. Recall of rigid body dynamics. Equations of motion: Newton-Euler recursive algorithm (Cardinal Equations of Dynamics); Lagrange equations (energy-based approach). Direct and inverse dynamic problem.
7. TRAJECTORY PLANNING. Introduction. Trajectory generation in Joint and Cartesian spaces. General criteria for working cycle optimization (hints). 
8. MANIPULATOR CONTROL. Introduction. Position/Velocity control. Force control (hints). Computed torque method.
9. MULTIBODY SYSTEMS DYNAMICS. Introduction to multibody systems analysis. Introduction and getting started to the software MSC ADAMS; applications of kinematic and dynamic analyses of mechanisms. Optimization procedures (hints). [Practice lessons with the support of a software-house's expert.]
10. PROBLEMS AND APPLICATIONS.

•  Inverse position analysis of the PUMA robot
• Dynamic model of a 2R planar mechanism
• Dynamic model of a 2R spatial  mechanism
• Computer lab exercises using simulation software

Readings/Bibliography

Reference book

• Siciliano B., Sciavicco L., Villani L., Oriolo G., Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control, Springer, 2009.

Suggested book

• Siciliano & Khatib eds., Handbook of Robotics, Springer, New York, 2008

In-depth readings

• Tsai L.W., Robot Analysis, The Mechanics of Serial and Parallel Manipulators, John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
  
• Angeles J., Fundamental of robotic mechanical systems, Springer-Verlag, New York, seconda edizione 2003
• Sandler Ben-Zion, Robotics: Designing the Mechanisms for Automated Machinery, Academic Press, 1999.

Teaching methods

Lessons taught in lecture room and in informatic lab. Seminars presented by professionals from Companies of the industrial sector.

In consideration of the type of activity and the teaching methods adopted, the attendance of this training activity requires the prior participation of all students in the training modules 1 and 2 on safety, in e-learning mode.

Assessment methods

1. Written examination: 2-3 questions about theoretical aspects or exercize.
The score of the written test will be given by the average of the single scores obtained for each of the 2-3 answers.

2. Discussion of the multibody model developed by each student with the software ADAMS.
Depending on the ability proven to use the software, the evaluation of this test will adjust the score obtained in the written test up to a maximum of 1 point (positive or negative).

3. Optional oral examination for a score variation of 2-3 points at most.

Teaching tools

Slides are used as a support for the lesson presetations. Pdf files of the presentation (along with suggested readings, lesson notes and additional supplementary material) are available at https://virtuale.unibo.it

Links to further information

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/marco.troncossi

Office hours

See the website of Marco Troncossi