A comparison between the Denavit-Hartenberg and the screw-based methods used in kinematic modeling of robot manipulators^

摘要

This paper aims to integrate didactically some engineering concepts to understand and teach the screw-based methods applied to the kinematic modeling of robot manipulators, including a comparative analysis between these and the Denavit-Hartenberg-based methods. In robot analysis, kinematics is a fundamental concept to understand, since most robotic mechanisms are essentially designed for motion. The kinematic modeling of a robot manipulator describes the relationship between the links and joints that compose its kinematic chain. To do so, the most popular methods use the Denavit-Hartenberg convention or its variations, presented by several author and robot publications. This uses a minimal parameter representation of the kinematic chain, but has some limitations. The successive screw displacements method is an alternative representation to this classic approach. Although it uses a non-minimal parameter representation, this screw-based method has some advantages over Denavit-Hartenberg. Both methods are here presented and compared, concerning direct/inverse kinematics of manipulators. The differential kinematics is also discussed. Examples of kinematic modeling using both methods are presented in order to ease their comparison.