A symbolic modelling tool for robotic manipulators

The tool allows quick access to the full kinematics and dynamics equations of the manipulators. Users only need to provide the DH parameters

Kinematics and dynamics modelling of manipulators are essential for analysis, optimisation, control system design, and motion planning of the manipulators. Deriving these models is a time-consuming task and it involves tedious mathematical calculations specifically for manipulators with more than two degrees of freedom. In this paper, development and evaluation of a symbolic modelling tool for the kinematic and dynamic equations of serial manipulators with revolute and prismatic joints are presented. The tool allows quick access to the full kinematics and dynamics equations of the manipulators. The user only requires to provide the DH parameters for obtaining the kinematic model and the centre of the gravity, mass parameters and momentum of inertia matrices of the links to be able to obtain the dynamic model. The tool is shared for public access and it is aimed to benefit researchers or graduate students in the area of robotics. Evaluation of the models generated by the tool is demonstrated through its accuracy for control design of PUMA 560.