The Huges Array Co-Processor and Its Application to Robotics

This report describes the results of twelve months research involving the Hughes array co-processor. This work began with the testing and debugging of the existing system, continued with the development of software to interface the co-processor to a host machine and concluded with the implementation of a trajectory planning algorithm for redundant manipulators. A loader program has been developed which allows simple programs to be executed. A library of C-callable routines has also been created and this enables the fabrication of more complex systems which require a high level of interaction between the host and co-processor. Routines to perform square root, sine and cosine functions have been designed and these have been used successfully in the development of a trajectory planning algorithm. This algorithm uses the co-processor to compute in parallel a large number of forward kinematics solutions and by doing so is able to convert a cartesian space trajectory into a joint space path for a redundant manipulator. The performance of the processor has been analyzed and a number of recommendations have been made concerning future implementations.