Kinematics: Why Robots Move Like They Do

For the general public, “moving like a robot” means making jerky, linear movements which nobody would describe as graceful. In contrast to this stereotype, many modern robots are able to move very gracefully, thanks to continual advancements in actuation technology. Despite this, as roboticists, we are all too familiar with the occasional strange movements that robotic manipulators make. Why do even the most accurate robots sometimes move in ways we don’t expect? The Answer: Kinematics. In this post, we introduce the “need-to-know” basics to give you a working understanding of this cornerstone topic of robotics.

By Alex Owen-Hill on Sep 13, 2015 9:18 PM. 6 min read time