Comparative study of performance indices for fundamental robot manipulators

In this paper, conventional global and local indices – structural length index, manipulability measure, condition number and Global Conditioning Index (GCI) – have been examined for the workspace optimization of the sixteen fundamental robot manipulators classified by B. Huang and V. Milenkovic [Kinematics of major robot linkages, Robotics International of SME 2 (1983) 16–31]. To find the optimum link length and volumes of these robot manipulators, two design objectives have been used: maximize the workspace area covered by the robot manipulator and maximize the local indices. As an example, a three-link robot manipulator has been studied based on the above design objectives. Also, optimization results of the sixteen robot manipulators have been compared to each other and summarized in tables. c © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.