Determination of anatomy and configuration of a reconfigurable manipulator for the optimal manipulability

A procedure for determining the anatomy and configuration of a reconfigurable robot for optimal manipulability at three task points in its workspace is presented. The reconfigurable 6 d.o.f. manipulator is structured using rigid links, active 1 d.o.f. rotational modules and pseudo joints. The reconfiguration of the robot to a new anatomy is achieved via the setting of the pseudo joint variables to the derived value. For the sake of comparing the results regarding the optimal manipulability of a fixed anatomy and a reconfigurable robot for the same task points, the task points are first located in the fixed anatomy manipulator´s workspace for optimal manipulability. The anatomy of the reconfigurable manipulator is then determined for the specified point locations. Results for both robot types are compared and discussed.