The Capability Map: A Tool To Analyze Robot Arm Workspaces

More and more systems are developed that include several robot arms, like humanoid robots or industrial robot systems. These systems are designed for complex tasks to be solved in cooperation by the robot arms. However, the capabilities of the individual robot arms to perform given tasks or the suitability of a multi-robot system for cooperative tasks cannot be intuitively comprehended. For planning complex tasks or designing robot systems, a representation of a robot arm's workspace is needed that allows to determine from which directions objects in the workspace can be reached. In this paper, the capability map is presented. It is a representation of a robot arm's kinematic capabilities in its workspace. The capability map is used to compare existing robot arms, to support the design phase of an anthropomorphic robot arm and to enable robot workcell planning.