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Page 146 - Toucpad robotics C11
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    These are robotic manipulators, the workhorses of industrial automation. A manipulator is essentially a series of rigid
                  links (like bones) connected by joints (like elbows or wrists), allowing a robotic arm to reach, grasp, and manipulate
                  objects in three-dimensional space. Their design and control are deeply rooted in mathematical principles and
                  sophisticated strategies.
                  Basic Structure of a Robotic Manipulator Arm

                                                                                       Upper arm

                                                              Joint
                                                               Link
                                                          Lower arm
                                                        Power cable                      Wrist
                                                                                           Gripper Mounting flange
                                                              Motor

                                                              Waist
                                                               Base

                  Let’s look at the provided image to understand the fundamental parts of a typical industrial robotic manipulator arm.
                  You can see two views: a realistic rendering on the left and a labelled diagram on the right.

                  Base
                      Description: This is the foundational, stationary part of the robot that anchors it firmly to the ground, a workbench,
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                      or a mobile platform. It provides stability for the entire arm.
                      Referencing Image: In  the  labelled  diagram,  you  can clearly see  the  large, circular  Base at  the  very bottom,
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                      supporting the rest of the manipulator.

                  Joints
                      Description: Joints are the critical connections between the rigid segments (links) of the arm. They allow relative
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                      motion between these segments, enabling the robot to bend, rotate, and extend. The number of independent ways a
                      robot can move is determined by its number of joints, which is called its degrees of freedom.
                      Types: In the image, you primarily see revolute (rotational) joints, which allow parts to rotate around an axis, much
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                      like your shoulder or elbow. Each curved arrow in the diagram indicates a possible rotation at a joint.
                      Referencing Image: The diagram explicitly labels several Joints where different parts of the arm connect and rotate.
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                      Notice the joints at the base, waist, upper arm, and wrist areas.

                  Links
                      Description: Links are the rigid structural segments that connect one joint to another. They form the physical body of
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                      the robotic arm. Think of them as the ‘bones’ of the arm.
                      Referencing  Image: The diagram  clearly  labels  the  Link connecting  the  base  to  the  lower arm.  Similarly,  the
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                      Lower arm and Upper arm are also distinct links in the manipulator.
                  Waist

                      Description: This is typically the first major joint above the base, allowing the entire arm to rotate horizontally,
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                      sweeping across a wide workspace, much like a human turning at their waist.
                      Referencing Image: The diagram shows the Waist as the part directly above the Base, with a curved arrow indicating
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                      its rotational motion.

                  144
                  Touchpad Robotics - XI

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