Robot Arm Classical Controller

A beginner roadmap to industrial arm controllers: MoveJ/MoveL, planners, trajectories, servo loops, C++/Python, and 2026 libraries.

Build a reusable C++/CMake/Eigen skeleton with GoogleTest and a Python robotics environment for the rest of the series.

Fill a UR5 DH table by hand, build a NumPy/C++ Eigen model, then cross-check with Robotics Toolbox and Pinocchio URDF.

Compute UR5 FK from DH by hand, implement NumPy/C++ Eigen from scratch, then verify with GoogleTest, RTB and Pinocchio.

Derive UR5 IK by hand, then build numerical IK in Python and C++ with Jacobian pseudo-inverse, DLS and joint-limit handling.

Derive the UR5 Jacobian, detect singularities with SVD, and build safe resolved-rate control in Python and C++.

A practical guide to base/tool/user/object frames, 6-DOF TCP offsets, and SE(3) pose composition in Python and C++.

Build MoveJ from scratch: joint-space interpolation, synchronized arrival, velocity and acceleration limits, Python prototype, and C++ playback.

Implement MoveL from scratch: linear TCP waypoints, quaternion SLERP, IK at every pose, and straightness verification.

Build MoveC through three points and MoveP through many via points with steady TCP speed, blend radius, Python, and C++ Eigen.

Time-scaling for robot arms: trapezoid, S-curve, velocity/acceleration/jerk limits, Python prototype and C++ classes.

Learn blend radius, path deviation, why hard stops are slow, and build Python/C++ prototypes for smooth multi-waypoint arm motion.

Complete guide to MoveIt Servo on ROS 2: joint jog, Cartesian twist jog, real-time pose tracking, singularity/collision/joint-limit safety, C++ API and Python keyboard teleop.

Understand C-space, RRT/RRT-Connect/PRM via OMPL, use MoveGroupInterface C++ and moveit_py Python to plan collision-free paths and execute them in RViz with MoveIt2.

Capstone article: deploy your controller on a real UR robot via ros2_control, joint_trajectory_controller and ur_rtde C++ with full tracking-error logging.