Robot Acceleration Capability: The Actuation Efficiency Measure

This article presents a new performance meamre, the actuation eficiency, which describes isotropy in acceleration capability for non-redundant manipulators. It measures the imbalance between the end-effector accelerations achievable in different directions. Prior to this, no measurre of this characteriStic was adequate for a six dem-of-freedom manipulator, because its endeffector motions are referenced to a mix of linear and angular coordinates. The proposed measure addresses both linear and angular accelerations. It also indicates oversized actuators, since this contributes to the imbalance in achievable accelerations. The development of this meamre is based on the formulation of the motion isotropy hypersurface. The shape of this hypersurface i s a weak indicator of acceleration isotropy.