Optimal Extended Jacobian Inverse Kinematics Algorithms for Robotic Manipulators

Extended Jacobian inverse kinematics algorithms for redundant robotic manipulators are defined by combining the manipulator´s kinematics with an augmenting kinematics map in such a way that the combination becomes a local diffeomorphism of the augmented taskspace. A specific choice of the augmentation relies on the optimal approximation by the extended Jacobian of the Jacobian pseudoinverse (the Moore-Penrose inverse of the Jacobian). In this paper, we propose a novel formulation of the approximation problem, rooted conceptually in the Riemannian geometry. The resulting optimality conditions assume the form of a Poisson equation involving the Laplace-Beltrami operator. Two computational examples illustrate the theory.