Optimal placement of robotic manipulators using multiple kinematic criteria

A method to find the optimal placement of manipulators by using multiple kinematic criteria is presented. By adequately locating a manipulator in order to accomplish a specified task, the method allows improvement in several indices of kinematic criteria of the manipulator for different points in the path. In the formulation presented, these indices are incorporated in an objective function which allows them to carry out their global optimization. The method considers the constraints imposed by the reach and by the joint limits of the manipulator. The improvements that can be achieved for the performances of manipulators by applying the method are shown in an example