2022 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Robot Kinematics
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Yukio Takeda / Koichi Suzumori / Yusuke Sugahara
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 1-4 Tue (S222)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MEC.I211
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2022
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Fundamental methods for kinematic analysis and synthesis of robots are introduced. Classification of robots and their applications are also introduced focusing on the kinematic structures and characteristics.
Students can learn fundamental ideas and methods of mechanism design of robots through theoretical explanations and practices.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
(1) Analyze basic kinematic structures of robots in terms of degrees of freedom
(2) Analyze relationship between input and output in displacement and velocity of basic robot mechanisms
(3) Know structures of basic reduction gears used as driving components of robots and calculate their reduction ratio
(4) Obtain basic engineering senses for designing robots
Keywords
Robotics, Kinematics of Machinery, Link Mechanism, Gear Mechanism, Displacement Analysis, Velocity Analysis, Degrees of Freedom, Structural Synthesis, Performance Evaluation, Dimensional Synthesis
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students are required to prepare for a class using the textbook. Each class is composed of fundamental explanations by means of graphical and analytical approaches and practice.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Composition of Robots | Overall mechanical composition of robots and role of each component are learned. |
| Class 2 | Mechanical Comonents of Robots | Roles of mechanical components of robots are concretely learned. |
| Class 3 | Types of Reduction Gears for Robots and Analysis of Gear Ratio | Basic characteristics of reduction gears used in robots are learned. Methods used in gear-ratio analysis of reduction gears are also learned. |
| Class 4 | Types of Reduction Gears for Robots and Kinematic Design | Basic idea of kinematic design of reduction gears used in robots in terms of gear ratio are learned. |
| Class 5 | Types of Robot Mechanisms (Serial Mechanisms) | Kinematic structures and characteristics of serial mechanisms used in robots are learned. |
| Class 6 | Types of Robot Mechanisms (Parallel Mechanisms) | Kinematic structures and characteristics of parallel mechanisms used in robots are learned. |
| Class 7 | Mobility of Robot Mechanisms (Mobility Criteria and Its Application) | Basic idea and formulation to analyze mobility of robot mechanisms are learned. |
| Class 8 | Mobility of Robot Mechanisms (Number and Structural Syntheses) | Basic idea and procedure to determine concrete kinematic structures of robots in terms of mobility are learned. |
| Class 9 | Displacement Analysis of Robot Mechanisms (Serial Mechanisms) | Basic idea and methods of displacement analysis of serial mechanisms are learned. |
| Class 10 | Displacement Analysis of Robot Mechanisms (Parallel Mechanisms) | Basic idea and methods of displacement analysis of parallel mechanisms are learned. |
| Class 11 | Velocity and Acceleration Analysis of Robot Mechanisms (Basic Concept) | Basic idea and methods of velocity and acceleration analysis of serial mechanisms and parallel mechanisms are learned. |
| Class 12 | Velocity Analysis of Robot Mechanisms (Jacobian Matrix) | Basic idea and physical meaning of Jacobian matrix of mechanisms with multiple dof are learned. |
| Class 13 | Force Analysis of Robot Mechanisms (Basic Principles) | Basic idea and methods of static force analysis of robot mechanisms based on the virtual work principle are learned. |
| Class 14 | Force Analysis of Robot Mechanisms (Analysis Based on Virtual Work Principle and Singularity Analysis) | Methods of static force analysis of robot mechanism based on the Jacobian matrix are learned. Physical and mathematical meaning of singular configuration of robot mechanism are also learned. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Kinematics of Machinery, JSME Text Series
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Koichi Suzumori: Robot Kinematics, CORONA PUBLISHING CO.,LTD., ISBN:978-4-339-04571-0
Other references are uploaded in T2Shcolar or OCW-i.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Learning achievement is evaluated by practices/home work(40%) and the final examination(60%).
The final examination is expected to be held in person, but in case when the situation of COVID-19 become worse, final examination will not be done. In such a case, learning achievement will be evaluated by practices/home work.
Related courses
- MEC.Q201 ： Introduction to Mechanical Systems
- MEC.Q301 ： Creative Design of Mechanical Systems
- MEC.H201 ： Machine Elements and Machine Drawing
- MEC.H211 ： Design of Machine Elements
- MEC.I333 ： Robot Dynamics and Control
- MEC.I334 ： Robot Technology
- MEC.H532 ： Kinematic Analysis and Synthesis of Robots
Prerequisites
None