A Novel Method for Inverse Kinematics of Offset Wrist Manipulators Using Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm With Quaternion

Inverse kinematics (IK) is at the core of manipulator control theory, with its solution accuracy directly impacting the robot's performance in executing tasks. This is particularly true for complex offset wrist manipulators (OWM), where existing evolutionary computation methods often face limitations in solution efficiency. Additionally, traditional modeling approaches may introduce inherent errors during the solution process, which are amplified through the iterative steps of evolutionary computation, resulting in deviations between the theoretically optimal solution and the actual implementation on robotic platforms. To address these challenges, this letter proposes a novel IK algorithm, TPEDE-IK, which integrates an improved differential evolution algorithm with quaternion-based modeling. The algorithm is designed to handle OWMs with various configurations and degrees of freedom. Experimental results demonstrate that the TPEDE-IK algorithm achieves superior performance on real robotic platforms, significantly improving solution accuracy and providing a robust foundation for future research in robotic control.