Classification of kinematic singularities in planar robot manipulators (Q1199854)

The paper gives a complete local classification of kinematics of planar manipulators around singular configurations. It is proved that the singular configurations can be classified by some quadratic forms of the Morse type, provided that the manipulator kinematics satisfy a mild geometric condition. This condition is called acyclicity condition and means geometrically that at singular configurations the arm of the manipulators does not form a closed chain. The paper presents a qualitative picture of kinematic behaviour of planar manipulators around singularities on the base of normal forms which offer a new insight into the inverse kinematic problem. These forms also describe locally bifurcation diagrams and self-motion manifolds, provide a clear distinction between avoidable and unavoidable singularities and simplify considerably the singular tracking problem in planar manipulators.