Algorithms for automatically determining workspace of reconfigurable robots

Automatically determining the workspace of reconfigurable robots is important in customizing the degree-of-freedom and the workspace of the robots. Three algorithms, i. e. inverse kinematics based on screw and Jacobian matrix, determination of boundary points by binary search, and determination of closed-curves in multi-region cross sections of the workspace based on double linked list, are proposed. Then the boundary and the area of any cross section of the workspace, and the shape and the volume of the whole workspace can be easily determined and automatically determining the workspace of reconfigurable robots is realized by the proposed algorithms. The algorithms are of good general feasibility, and their validities are verified by an example of a typical industrial robot.