MANIPULABILITY INDEX OF A PARALLEL ROBOT MANIPULATOR

The manipulability index is used to quantify manipulators velocity transmission capabilities or the dexterity of robot. The index is a measure of manipulating ability of robotic mechanisms in positioning and orienting the end effectors. The index allows to quantify the proximity of the robot t o a singularity, which is ideal for identifying paths of welding with continuous and soft movements at the robot joints. A university of Maryland manipulator is considered in the present paper. Manipulability index values are determined for the selected structures. A MATLAB code is developed and used for the analysis. The results are graphically presented.