How to add coordinate system on the tool I add to the robot?

Hi,

I am working on manipulator simulation, using a UR3 robot. I added a tool on the end effector. The tool is a rigid link, which is a STL file I uploaded. Here is how I add the body to the end-effector.

% Load utensil model

pen = rigidBody('pen');

addVisual(pen,"Mesh",'utensil.STL')

penJoint = rigidBodyJoint('penJoint','fixed');

addBody(ur3,pen,'tool0')

% Add a fixed-body at the tip of the pen to compute the desired inverse transform

transfForpen(:,4) = [0; 0; 0.1; 1];

penEdge = rigidBody('penEdge');

setFixedTransform(penEdge.Joint, transfForpen);

addBody(ur3,penEdge,'pen');

I want to define the orientation of the tip of the tool. However, I cannot add a coordinate system on the tip of the tool. Does anyone know how to do that?

Please leave your comment if you have experience. I appreicate that.

Cheers.

Answer 1

[Dhruv]

Following are the steps to add a coordinate system on the tip of the tool and define its orientation:

1. Define the position and orientation of the tool tip relative to the end-effector frame. This can be done using a transformation matrix or a set of Euler angles.
2. Create a new rigid body that represents the coordinate system at the tool tip. This rigid body can be defined as a simple geometric shape such as a sphere or a cylinder.
3. Set the fixed transform of the new rigid body to the position and orientation of the tool tip. This can be done using the transformation matrix or Euler angles defined in step 1.
4. Add the new rigid body to the end-effector as a child of the tool. This will ensure that the coordinate system moves with the tool and maintains its orientation relative to the end-effector frame.
5. Visualize the coordinate system in the simulation environment to ensure that it is properly positioned and oriented.

Hopefully, the above steps will help you get started. Please refer to the following documentation link for further guidance :

Coordinate Transformations in Robotics - MATLAB & Simulink (mathworks.com)