321 kinematic structure is a design method for robotic arms (serial manipulators), invented by Donald L. Pieper and used in most commercially produced robotic arms. The inverse kinematics of serial manipulators with six revolute joints, and with three consecutive joints intersecting, can be solved in closed form, i.e. a set of equations can be written that give the joint positions required to place the end of the arm in a particular position and orientation. An arm design that does not follow these design rules typically requires an iterative algorithm to solve the inverse kinematics problem.
The 321 design is an example of a 6R wrist-partitioned manipulator: the three wrist joints intersect, the two shoulder and elbow joints are parallel, the first joint intersects the first shoulder joint orthogonally (at a right angle). Many other industrial robots, such as the PUMA, have a kinematic structure that deviates a little bit from the 321 structure. The offsets move the singular positions of the robot away from places in the workspace where they are likely to cause problems.
Famous quotes containing the word structure:
“The philosopher believes that the value of his philosophy lies in its totality, in its structure: posterity discovers it in the stones with which he built and with which other structures are subsequently built that are frequently better—and so, in the fact that that structure can be demolished and yet still possess value as material.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)