A Complete Method for Workspace Boundary Determination

Abstract

This paper introduces a new method for workspace boundary determination on general lower-pair multi-body systems. The method uses a branch-and-prune technique to isolate the set of end effector singularities, and then classifies the points in such set according to whether they correspond to actual motion impediments in the workspace. The method can deal with open- or closed-chain systems, and is able to take joint limits into account. Advantages over other methods of similar applicability include its completeness and a simpler algorithmic structure. Examples are included that show its performance on benchmark problems documented in the literature.