Patent ID: 7756606

Claim:
A method of controlling a redundant manipulator for controlling the operation of a hand of a redundant manipulator, comprised of a plurality of arms sequentially connected to said hand via joints comprised of redundant joints and non-redundant joints, by determining a joint angle that each of said joints forms when the position and direction of the hand are specified, comprising: arbitrarily classifying said joints into said redundant joints and said non-redundant joints; defining an evaluating function and constraint condition composed of joint angles (φ j ) of said redundant joints and said joint angles (θ i ) of said non-redundant joints; defining values of said joint angles (θ i ) of said non-redundant joints as solutions obtained by using an inverse kinematics calculation; defining values of said joint angles (φ j ) of said redundant joints as solutions where said evaluating function is to be minimized by applying an optimization method to said evaluating function composed of said joint angles (φ j ) of said redundant joints provided as a parameter and said joint angles (θ i ) of said non-redundant joints which is determined by said inverse kinematics calculation; evaluating on a basis of degree of satisfaction of said constraint condition, an optimal set of solutions (θ i , φ j ) composed of said joint angles (θ i ) of said non-redundant joints obtained by said inverse kinematics calculation and said joint angles (φ j ) of said redundant joints obtained by said optimization method and; selecting either to change said values of said joint angles (φ j ) of said redundant joints and determine new joint angles of said non-redundant joints by another inverse kinematics calculation or to classify arbitrarily said joints into new non-redundant and redundant joints and change said evaluating function or said constraint condition and set new initial values of joint angles of said redundant joints and determine new joint angles of said non-redundant joints by another inverse kinematics, if it is judged that said set of solutions (θ i , φ j ) are not optimum.