Comparing methods using homogeneous transformation matrices for kinematics modeling of robot manipulators

Abstract

The forward pose kinematics (FPK) model of a robotic manipulator allows to obtain the position and orientation (i.e., the pose) of the manipulator’s end effector as a function of the joint coordinates. There are several methods for computing the FPK model, being the most common those that employ homogeneous transformation matrices (HTM). This paper reviews and compares two of those methods: the one which employs the Denavit–Hartenberg parameters, with all of its variants, and that which uses the theory of differential screws developed by Ball. The relation among these methods is established and, at the end, the procedure is validated by showing its application for computing the FPK of a simple serial manipulator.