Kinematic programming alternatives for redundant manipulators

In the growing literature on redundant manipulator control, a number of techniques have been proposed for solving the inverse kinemetics problem. Some of these techniques are surveyed with a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of each. A new approach, called the extended Jacobian technique, is also presented. It is argued that because this technique may be expected to lift closed end effector paths to closed joint angle paths, it provides a promising approach for the control of kinematically redundant industrial manipulators. It is further shown that this technique may be implemented as a suitably parameterized generalized inverse method.