An efficient algorithm for identification of SCARA robot parameters including drive characteristics

A procedure for estimating the dynamic model of a SCARA robot is presented. By taking into consideration a priori knowledge about the structure of the dynamics, the robot model is expressed in terms of fourteen equivalent manipulator parameters. The characteristics of the drive dynamics are also included in the modelling process. In this manner, the estimated dynamic model can facilitate the design of control laws for actual implementation. Due to a regrouping procedure, the estimation model for the model parameters can be formulated in an upper block triangular form. This special structure can be exploited to obtain a computationally efficient estimation algorithm for the model parameters. An integral form of the estimation algorithm is then developed to eliminate the need of using joint accelerations which tend to be noisy. The complete procedure does not require prior knowledge of the geometric parameters. Furthermore the robot manipulator need not follow some restrictive test trajectories. The experimental results obtained from a 4-DOF SCARA robot are presented to illustrate the practical application of the method