Type selection of robot manipulators using fuzzy reasoning in robot design system

A method for the selection of a suitable type of robot manipulator for a given task using fuzzy reasoning is proposed. Various types of robot have different characteristics of the performances such as the shape and size of the workspace, the accuracy, the speed, and the weight capacity. Therefore, it is necessary to select the robot type with suitable performances for the given task in the design of the robot. The proposed method selects the most suitable robot type for the task, in the same way as a design expert. This method consists of the following steps; (1) The design expert´s knowledge of the characteristics of the performances of each robot type is expressed as a fuzzy fact in the database. (2) The operator analyzes the task and obtains the performances required for it, pressed as fuzzy rules. (3) The degree of suitability for the task of each robot type is obtained from the knowledge concerning the performances of the robot type and the performances required for the task by fuzzy reasoning