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Rigid Body

A solid component in a robot that doesn’t bend or deform—it maintains its shape under all conditions.

Real-World Examples

Rigid bodies in robots:

  1. Metal arm segments
  2. Robot links (connecting pieces)
  3. Gripper fingers
  4. Wheels and joints
  5. End-effectors (tools, cameras)

Non-rigid (flexible) bodies:

  1. Rubber grippers (deform to grasp)
  2. Cables and belts
  3. Springs
  4. Soft materials

Why It Matters in Robotics

Advantages:

  1. Predictable motion - easy to calculate where it will move
  2. Precise control - position and orientation are exact
  3. Simple modeling - mathematics is straightforward
  4. Durability - maintains accuracy over time

Simplification:

Engineers treat robot components as rigid bodies for motion calculations because:

  1. Minor deformations are negligible
  2. Calculations become manageable
  3. Real-time control is feasible

Physics Simplification

A rigid body can be fully described by:

  1. Position (x, y, z coordinates)
  2. Orientation (rotation angles)
  3. Velocity and angular velocity

This makes simulation and control algorithms much simpler than modeling flexible, deforming materials.


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Contents Real-World Examples Why It Matters in Robotics Physics Simplification