Lagrangian wrench distribution for cooperating robotic mechanisms

A systematic method for analysis of cooperating robotic mechanisms is investigated using constrained optimization. The wrench distribution problem is formulated as a quadratic optimization problem with a linear constraint. This leads to the definition of the Lagrangian screw, which is shown to be an important geometrical tool for analysis. The geometrical meaning of the distributed wrench field is explained in terms of the Lagrangian screw. Examples show that several previous investigations in the literature may be included as special cases