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Handy-Dandy
End Effectors
The device at the end of a robotic arm is called the end
effector. You can think of it like a human hand, but the
variety of different end effectors and their capabilities
goes far beyond what a human hand can do on its own.
In this kit, there are three interchangeable end effectors:
scoop, three-point gripper, and two-point gripper. They
are all good at picking up different objects. End effectors
are designed to interact with and manipulate objects in
their environments to perform specialized tasks.
Degrees of Freedom
Unlike a human arm, a robotic arm has a lot more
freedom to move through space in different ways. The term
"degrees of freedom" is used to describe the movement of a robotic arm through space.
The position and orientation of an object in space is described by three coordinates in
the x, y, and z directions, and three directions of rotation around those axes.
The area defined by all of the positions in space that the end of the robotic arm can reach
is known as the workspace. If the object that the robotic arm needs to pick up is not in
the workspace, the robot cannot pick it up! The workspace depends on the degrees of
freedom, limitations of the joints, lengths of the linkages, and the angles at which the
object must be picked up.
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