The solution of the inverse kinematics of mobile manipulators is a fundamental capability to solve problems such as path planning, visual-guided motion, object grasping, and so on. In this article, we present a metaheuristic approach to solve the inverse kinematic problem of mobile manipulators. In this approach, we represent the robot kinematics using the Denavit–Hartenberg model. The algorithm is able to solve the inverse kinematic problem taking into account the mobile platform. The proposed approach is able to avoid singularities configurations, since it does not require the inversion of a Jacobian matrix. Those are two of the main drawbacks to solve inverse kinematics through traditional approaches. Applicability of the proposed approach is illustrated using simulation results as well as experimental ones using an omnidirectional mobile manipulator.

Due to the complexity of manipulator robots, the trajectory tracking task is very challenging. Most of the current algorithms depend on the robot structure or its number of degrees of freedom (DOF). Furthermore, the most popular methods use a Jacobian matrix that suffers from singularities. In this work, the authors propose a general method to solve the trajectory tracking of robot manipulators using metaheuristic optimization methods. The proposed method can be used to find the best joint configuration to minimize the end-effector position and orientation in 3D, for robots with any number of DOF.

Cooperative manipulation in dual-arm robotic systems is a fundamental capability to perform many problems such as human-like tasks. In this article, we present an approach to solve dual-arm cooperative manipulation tasks using the differential evolution algorithm. In this work, manipulator kinematics are represented using the Denavit–Hartenberg model. The proposed method is able to avoid singularities because it does not require the inversion of any Jacobian matrix. In addition, the proposed approach handles joint limit constraints based on penalty functions. As a final remark, this approach is suitable for robotic systems of redundant or non-redundant serial manipulators composed of revolute or prismatic joints. Simulation experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach under different dual-arm configurations. Furthermore, real experiments were performed using a dual-arm KUKA Youbot system to show the applicability of the proposed approach.