Abstract
A semi-analytical method and a computer program are developed for inverse kinematics solution of a class of robotic manipulators, in which four joint variables are contained in wrist point equations. For this case, it becomes possible to express all the joint variables in terms of a joint variable, and this reduces the inverse kinematics problem to solving a nonlinear equation in terms of that joint variable. The solution can be obtained by iterative methods and the remaining joint variables can easily be computed by using the solved joint variable. Since the method is manipulator dependent, the equations will be different for kinematically different classes of manipulators, and should be derived analytically. A significant benefit of the method is that, the singular configurations and the multiple solutions indicated by sign ambiguities can be determined while deriving the inverse kinematic expressions. The developed method is applied to a six-revolute-joint industrial robot, FANUC Arc Mate Sr.