Robotect: serial-link manipulator design software for modeling, visualization and performance analysis

Abstract

We have developed Robotect-a software package for modeling, visualization and performance analysis of serial-link manipulator arms. The package allows interactive creation of a wide variety of serial-link manipulators using three alternative modeling formats. Manipulator models created in Robotect are easily configured, visualized and animated. These features support Robotect's main objective-to provide an integrated environment for analysis of serial-link manipulator performance. A suite of analyses including dexterity, repeatability, accuracy, static and dynamic force-torque and load deflection are, available within Robotect to help designers interactively optimize their manipulator designs. This PC-Windows-based package can be used: a) as a tool to interactively synthesize and optimize serial-link manipulator designs, b) as an inverse kinematics algorithm test and verification tool and c) as an educational tool to instruct and learn principles in robot manipulator design. In this paper, we describe Robotect and its applications.