Evolution of Robotic Arm Design-An Overview

Do you often wonder how we arrived at the mind-controlled, six-degrees-of-freedom robotic arm? Well, this is a result of human aspiration to obtain an augmented, human-like effector that can provide all the benefits of mechanization, yet eliminate the potential limitations of the human actuator. Today, we will explore the intriguing legacy of robotic arm design to trace its evolution through ages.

1.   1. Da Vinci's Robotic hand - Leonardo da Vinci was greatly influenced by the classical Greek philosophers in art and engineering. His extensive knowledge was not limited to human anatomy and he investigated comparative anatomy for a better appreciation of form and function. In around 1495, he designed a humanoid robot. Its hand had four degrees of freedom at various positions of articulated shoulders, wrists, elbows, and hands.

2. Pollard's Robotic Arm - This gives rise to the early modern robotic hand evolution. The first position controlling apparatus was designed by Willard Pollard in 1938. This spray fishing robotic hand had an electrical control system and five degrees of freedom.

3.Unimate Robotic Arm - Invented by George Devol, Unimate introduces its very first robotic arm design in 1962 through the hands of Joseph Engelberger. The rising popularity of industrial hand starts with this one. The very first industrial arm was used in the General Motors plant in New Jersey, for the purpose of automated diecasting.

4. Stanford Robotic Arm - A few years later, Victor Scheinman, a Stanford Research Institute investigator, started working on the electrically powered robotic arms that could move through six axes. He called this Stanford's hand. It could accomplish more complex tasks.

5. Minsky's Robotic Arm - Marvin Minsky, from MIT, developed a robotic arm for underwater exploration in the office of Naval Research. In this high dexterity electro-hydraulic hand, twelve single degrees of freedom were used.

6. Modern Robotic Arm - Finally, we arrive at a modern programmable robot arm that is widely used in the medical and industrial field. The following anatomical joints play crucial roles in these hands:

• Shoulder Joint - This is the most load-bearing joint in the hand. Pitch, yaw, and roll - these three degrees of freedom are incorporated into this.
• Elbow Joint - The elbow joint renders extension and angular reorientation of the hand and wrist. Usually, the elbow offers 150° of the pitch.
• Wrist Joint - The wrist is the end effector of a robotic arm and it renders a three-dimensional space for the hand to move flexibly. Without the wrist, a mechanical hand cannot work better than Leonardo's robot or any crane arms. The earliest robotic wrists found their applications in painting and welding.
• Hand - The hand is a multi-tasking tool to accomplish various functions. This may range from grasping to pushing and manipulating an object.

Five Principle Types of RoboticArm

The five principle types of robotic hand design include self compliant automatic robot assembly (SCARA), revolute coordinate, cylindrical coordinate, polar coordinate, and rectangular coordinate. And two latest additions are known as serpentine and anthropomorphic.

Conclusion

The last 40 years have seen radical improvements in the development of robotic arms. Its scope of application, too, is widely evolving. From medicines to surgery, nuclear reactor work to pick and place industry, and empowering the disabled - the programmable robot arm has a rising demand in today's market.

What's your take about this fascinating history of the robotic arm? Comment below and let us know!

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