A unified modelling and solution of planar manipulators based on multi-body systems dynamics method

The discrete time transfer matrix method for multi-rigid-body systems is improved based on the structural characteristics of the robotic arm and the relations between motion transfer and force transfer. A new multi-body system transfer matrix modelling method applicable to serial robots is proposed, and a unified model for a manipulator with n joints is developed. This model contains characteristics of both kinematics and dynamics. In view of the motion transformation relation of the robotic arm between joint space and the operational space, the solution and the procedure are proposed for forward kinematics of the system model. Numerical simulation of a 2R planar manipulator is performed. The simulation results validate the feasibility of the modelling method and illustrate it to be superior to the current methods.