Workspace refers to the set of spatial locations that a specific part of a robot arm can reach under certain conditions. The shape and size of the workspace reflect the robot's working capabilities. When understanding a robot's workspace, the following points should be noted:
1) The workspace indicated in the manual of an industrial robot usually refers to the range that the origin of the mechanical interface coordinate system on the wrist can reach in space, that is, the range that the center point of the flange at the end of the wrist can reach in space, not the range that the end effector endpoint can reach. Therefore, when designing and selecting, attention should be paid to the actual workspace that the robot can reach after the end effector is installed.
2) The workspace provided in the robot's instruction manual is often smaller than the maximum kinematic space. This is because within the reachable space, the payload, maximum permissible speed, and maximum acceleration vary depending on the arm's pose. The limits allowed at the arm's maximum position are usually smaller than those at other positions. Furthermore, there may be a degree-of-freedom degradation problem at the robot's maximum reachable space boundary. This pose is called a singular configuration, and degree-of-freedom evolution occurs within a considerable area around the singular configuration. This portion of the workspace cannot be utilized during robot operation.
3) In addition to the edges of the workspace, industrial robots in practical applications may also have areas inside the workspace that the arm tip cannot reach due to mechanical structure limitations. These are commonly referred to as cavities or voids. A cavity is a completely enclosed space within the workspace that the arm tip cannot reach. A void, on the other hand, is a space that the arm tip cannot reach along the entire length of the axis of rotation.
