Framework for the Closed-Form Calculation of Forward and Inverse Kinematics for Basic Kinematics in Reconfigurable Multi-Component Systems

Until now, reconfigurable automation systems require a high engineering effort for the reconfiguration in order to begin production. Plug-and-play concepts are rare and usually only cover part of the disciplines involved in the mechatronic system. One of the challenges of reconfigurable systems considered in the research project DEVEKOS is the rearrangement of positioning axes into simple kinematic structures as it is required for the manufacturing process. In order to implement synchronous control of the multi-axes group, the calculation of the forward and inverse kinematics is necessary. This paper introduces a framework in which the kinematic description of the multi-axes group can be imported in a customized AutomationML-file. The framework then verifies the characteristics of the kinematics and considers common strategies for solving the inverse kinematics. The implementation presented recognizes four different types of basic kinematic structures and automatically calculates the inverse kinematic equations in those cases.