A new approach to the inverse problem of six-link manipulators via the optimization technique

In this paper, a powerful approach is presented to solve the inverse kinematics of manipulators by associating an expression as to manipulator hand position and orientation with an optimization technique. The key point in this approach is to depart from the fixed and customary idea of dealing with all given articulated variables at a time and to pay attention to only three of them while the remaining three variables are considered to have dependent relationships with the first three variables. The linearized model of a specified performance index composed of these three variables plays an important role in determining the desired solutions. The results of computer simulation showed that numerical solutions were sufficiently reliable. Theoretically, this approach is applicable to all types of six link manipulators with rotational and/or revolute joints. (author)