A performance measure for computing the reverse kinematic solution for robots with redundant degrees of freedom

The addition of a redundant joint to a robotic manipulator is considered. A redundant joint adds considerable flexibility to a standard robot. The kinematics of a two-dimensional robot with a single redundant joint is developed. An optimization technique to uniquely specify the joint angles is proposed. This technique maximizes the workable area around the hand. An example is provided which illustrates the technique.