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The Reconfigurable Main-Arm (RMA) is a 5-DOF manipulator. The manipulator is capable of reconfiguring itself into all of the kinematically simple (KS) all revolute-joint main-arm layouts.
The KS class of layouts is comprised of main-arms with three successively parallel and/or perpendicular joints and end located spherical joint groups. Arguments of degeneracy and kinematic equivalency can be used to demonstrate that only five unique all revolute-joint main-arm layouts belong to the KS class.
Sufficient joints are included within the RMA to allow, by the locking of certain joints and the actuation of others, the kinematic attributes of each of the unique KS revolute-joint main-arm layouts to be acquired. Five successively perpendicular revolute joints are required within the RMA to allow reconfiguration of the manipulator into the five KS revolute-joint main-arm layouts.