A Non-Dexterous Dual Arm Robot's Feasible Orientations Along Desired Trajectories: Analysis & Synthesis

Abstract

A dual-arm robotic manipulator needs to maintain its end-effectors' orientations with reference to each other as defined by the task constraints at various locations. To give one example, the task of operating a pair of pliers by rigidly grasping its handles will require that the orientation of the two end-effectors with respect to each other should vary as a function of their respective locations. Due to the wrist joint range limitations, dexterity is very limited and it may not be possible to achieve a desired maneuver along a desired trajectory. We present here a systematic approach to judge the feasibility of such demands and a method to find other reasonable target trajectories or orientations. The approach here is based on simple geometry with little computation load.