Towards Whole-Arm Statics
In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to compute the maximum contact force that can be applied by a manipulator at any point on its external surface. The approach consists in the approximation of the robot’s external surface by simple primitives for which the position and normal direction can easily be expressed analytically for any point on the surface. This approach is also used to compute analytically the boundaries of the zones on the external surface where the achievable force exceeds a predetermined threshold. A method is developed for determining the limit joint torques which ensure that the achievable force cannot exceed a predetermined magnitude for any point on the primitives. Specific equations are developed for two types of primitives (parallelogram and cylinder) along with generic procedures applicable to any shape. An example is presented to illustrate how the proposed procedures can be applied for the solution of a typical problem. Finally, the applicability and limitations of this approach are discussed. A potential application for this work is to provide information on a robot’s dangerousness to its controller in order to improve safety.