Coordinate Systems
Robotic systems consist of many parts (links) connected with revolute, prismatic, fixed, floating, or planar joints. The configuration of each link can be represented with a set of 6 coordinates, 3 coordinate for translation and three coordinates for orientation. It is common practice to associate each link with a coordinate frame attached to a point on the body as illustrated in this figure.
Often we want to transform the position of a point between coordinate systems. Let A and B be two arbitrary coordinate systems. Let Bp be the coordinates of a point p with respect to coordinate system B. The coordinates of p with respect to the coordinate system
| Symbol | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| world | Fixed world reference frame, mostly used in simulation. |
| task | Dynamically defined reference frame for a manipulation task, e.g. corner of a table. |
| base | Base coordinate system located at the base of the robot. |
| tool0 | Robot tool mounting point. |
| TCP | Center point of the tool. |