IMPACT CONFIGURATIONS AND MEASURES FOR KINEMATICALLY REDUNDANT AND MULTIPLE ARMED ROBOT SYSTEMS

This paper introduces new methods to evaluate the effects of impact an d contact forces on single and multiple robot manipulators. New measur es of the vulnerability of any arm to impacts in varying directions ar e given. Impact ellipsoids corresponding to these measures are defined and analyzed. The effect of different configurations of kinematically redundant arms on (potentially damaging) impact forces at their end e ffectors during contact with the environment are investigated. New met hods for examining the optimal configurations of redundant manipulator s under impact task constraints are discussed. Examples showing ''good '' and ''bad'' configurations for contacts and tasks of different type s are presented. Application of the methods to multiple cooperating ar ms is considered. Contact due to additional manipulators grasping, or regrasping, a common object held by one or more manipulators is analyz ed. Applications to planning and simulation of manipulation of commonl y held objects by multiple arms are discussed.