Page 185 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

KINEMATIC ERROR K
Kinematic error refers to imprecision in robot motion that takes place inde-
pendently of force and mass. The ultimate effect of kinematic error can be
measured in absolute terms,such as linear displacement units or degrees of
arc. The ultimate effect can also be measured in terms of a percentage
of the total movement.
As an example, suppose a mobile robot is programmed to proceed at
a speed of 1.500 m/s at an azimuth bearing of 90.00° (due east) on a level
surface. If the robot encounters an upward incline, the forward speed can
be expected to decrease slightly. If the robot encounters a downslope, in
contrast, the forward speed can be expected to increase. If the surface
banks to the left or the right, the direction of motion can be expected to
change accordingly. In the ideal scenario, terrain irregularity would not
affect the speed or direction of the machine; the kinematic error would
therefore be zero.
Kinematic errors,if they take place persistently in a given sense and over
a period of time,can result in accumulation of the displacement or position
of the robot when the task is completed. Compare DISPLACEMENT ERROR.
K-LINE PROGRAMMING
K-line programming is a method by which a smart robot can learn as it
does a job, so that it will have an easier time doing the same or similar
work in the future.
Suppose you have a personal robot that you use for handiwork around
the house.The water heater breaks down and you instruct the robot to fix it.
The robot must use certain tools to do the repair. The first time the
robot repairs the water heater, it must find the tools by trial and error. It
encodes each tool in its memory,perhaps according to shape.It also encodes
the sequence in which the tools are used to fix the water heater. The list of

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