An Automated Conversion Between Selected Robot Kinematic Representations

TL;DR

This paper introduces RobKin Interpreter, an automated tool that converts between various robot kinematic representations using analytical algorithms, supporting flexible structures and aiding software compatibility and calculation ease.

Contribution

It presents a novel analytical methodology for automated conversion among multiple robot kinematic representations, including arbitrary structures and URDF generation.

Findings

Supports conversion for revolute and prismatic joints

Handles arbitrary and non-orthogonal kinematic structures

Enables seamless switching between representations

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology that forms an automated tool for robot kinematic representation conversion, called the RobKin Interpreter. It is a set of analytical algorithms that apply basic linear algebra tools that can analyze an input serial robot representation, express the joints globally in matrix form, and map to other representations such as standard Denavit-Hartenberg parameters, Roll-Pitch-Yaw angles with translational displacement, and Product of Exponentials with a possibility to generate a URDF (Universal Robot Description Format) file from any of them. It works for revolute and prismatic joints and can interpret even arbitrary kinematic structures that do not have orthogonally placed joints and often appear in flexible robotic systems. The aim of the proposed methods is to facilitate the necessary switches between representations due to software compatibility, calculation simplification, or cooperation.