Robot Dynamics

To determine joint torques/forces

Robotic joint torque consists of inertia, centrifugal and Coriolis
and gravity terms
Inertia Term
Depends on mass distribution of the links and it is expressed in
terms of moment of inertia tensor

Let

i
i

r = position of a fixed point lying on i-th rigid link

expressed in its own coordinate system

xi
y
i

zi

The same point can be expressed in base coordinate system as

i
follows: 0
0
i

Ti r

i
i 1
i

where iT 1T 2T 3T.........
0

Inertia tensor of i-th link

Ji

i
i

i
i

r r

T/

dm

2
x
i dm

x i y i dm
x i z i dm
x dm
i

x y dm
y dm
y z dm
y dm
i i
2
i

i i
i

x z dm
y z dm
z dm
z dm
i i

i i
2
i
i

x dm
y dm
z dm
dm
i

Various Cases
Case 1: Robotic link of Rectangular cross-section

Moment of Inertia (positive value)

Differential mass dm = dxdydz
b/2 0 a /2

I XX

z 2 dxdydz

b / 2 l a / 2
2

l
b2

3 12
b/2 0 a/2

I YY

z 2 dxdydz

b / 2 l a / 2
2

a
b2

12 12
b/2 0 a /2

I zz

y 2 dxdydz

b / 2 l a / 2

l2 a2

3 12

Product of Inertia (positive/negative/zero)

b/2 0 a/2

I XY

xydxdydz 0

b / 2 l a / 2
b/2 0 a/2

I YZ

yzdxdydz 0

b / 2 l a / 2
b/2 0 a /2

I ZX

zxdxdydz 0

b / 2 l a / 2

b/2 0 a /2

xdm xdxdydz 0
b / 2 l a / 2

ydm m
zdm 0

l
m yi
2

Mass center = x i , y i , z i
= (0, -l/2,0)

 dm m
Inertia tensor, Ji can be written as

I XX I YY I ZZ

Ji

I XY

I XY

I ZX

mi x i

I XX I YY I ZZ
2

I YZ

mi yi

I ZX

I YZ

mi x i

mi yi

I XX I YY I ZZ

mi zi

2
mi zi
m i

 ma 2

12

0
ml 2
3

ml

ml

mb 2
12

For a slender link (l >> a and l >> b)

0

ml 2
0
3

0
0
ml
0
2

0
ml
0
2
0
0
0

Case 2: Robotic link of Circular Cross-section

Let us consider a link of length l having circular cross-section

of radius r
y = r sin
z = r cos

Volume of small element dv = r ddrdx

Mass of small element dm = dv, where = density
Moment of Inertia
I XX y 2 z 2 dm

V
0 r 2

l 0

I YY

1
2
r

rd

drdx

mr
0
2

0 r 2

z 2 dm

x 2 r 2 cos 2 rddrdx
l 0 0

ml 2 mr 2

3
4

I ZZ x 2 y 2 dm
V
0 r 2

x 2 r 2 sin 2 rddrdx
l 0 0

ml 2 mr 2

3
4

Product of Inertia
I XY xydm
V

0 r 2

xr sin rddrdx

l 0 0

= 0

Similarly, Iyz = 0; Izx = 0

0 r 2

xdm xrddrdx

l 0 0

1
ml
2

ydm 0

zdm 0

dm m

Mass center = x i , y i , z i (-l/2, 0, 0)

Inertia Tensor
ml 2

Ji

mr 2
4

ml

mr
4

For a slender link (l >> r)

ml 2
3
0
Ji
0
ml

ml
0 0
2
0 0
0

0 0
0
0 0

ml

Determination of Robotic Joint Torques

Lagrange-Euler Formulation
d L
L
i ,

dt q&
qi
i

Where i = 1, 2, . . . . . , n
n= No. of joints
L: Lagrangian function
L = K(K.E) P(P.E)
qi = Generalized coordinates
qi = i for a rotary joint
= di for a prismatic joint
q i
= first time (t) derivative of qi
i : Generalized torque for a rotary joint
: Generalized force for a linear joint

Let us consider i-th link of a serial manipulator

Position of a fixed point lying on this link
xi
y
i
i
ir
zi

1
0
i

i
i

r T r
0
i

0
1
i 1
T

T
T
......
where
1 2
iT
0
i

Determination of Kinematic Energy (K) of the Manipulator

Velocity of a particle of link i w.r. to base coordinate system
0
i

d
V
dt

0
i

d
dt

r
0
i

0
i

Ti r

1
i 1 i
0 1
i 1 i
0 i

T 2T..... i T i r ....... 1T 2T..... i T i r iT i r

0
1

0iT i
i

q q j i r , asi r 0
j1

j
i

0iT
Let
U ij
q j

Therefore, V

0
i

Note: U ijk

U
j1

U ij

qk

ij

i
i

j r
q

Kinetic energy of the particle having differential mass dm

1 2

x i y i2 z i2 dm
2
1 0 0 T|
Tr i V i V dm
2

dK i

where Tr: Trace of a matrix

1
dk i Tr
2
1
Tr
2

1
Tr
2

U
a 1
i

ia

q r

U
a 1 b 1

i
ai

b 1

i
ia i

dm

q r

r r U Tib q a q b dm

i
i

U
ia
a 1 b 1

ib

i
bi

i
i

T|

T|

rdm r U ib q a q b

i
i

T|

Kinematic energy of i-th link

Ki

1
dk i 2 Tr

1
Tr
2

U ia
a 1 b 1

i
i

T|

U ia J i U ib q a q b
a 1 b 1

aq
b
r r dm U Tib q

i
i

T|

Where inertia tensor

i i T|
i i

J i r r dm

Total K.E. of the serial manipulator having n links

K

k
i 1

1
Tr
i 1 2

U ia J i U ib q a q b
T|

a 1 b 1

1 n i i
T|
K Tr U ia J i U ib q a q b
2 i 1 a 1 b 1

Determination of Potential Energy of the manipulator

Potential energy of i-th link
o
i

i
i

Pi mi g r mi g T r
where g g x , g y , g z

o
i

Total potential energy of the manipulator

n

P Pi
i 1

mi g oiT i r
i

i 1

Now,
L = K-P

n
1 n i i
T
Tr U ia J iU ib q&&
qb mi g
a

2 i 1 a 1 b 1
i 1

o
i

Using Lagrange-Euler equation, we get

n

&
&&
i Dic q&
c hicd qc qd Ci ,
c 1

T ir

c 1 d 1

where i = 1, 2, . . . , n

Inertia term
D ic

T U
n

j max i ,c

jc

J jU

T|
ji

i, c = 1, 2,. . . . , n

Coriolis and centrifugal term

h icd

T U
n

r
j max i ,c ,d

JU

jcd j

T|
ji

i, c, d = 1, 2,. . . . , n
Gravity term
n

Ci m j gU r
j1

j
ji j

i = 1, 2,. . . . , n