Singularity - What it is and how to avoid it!

Singularity in robotics can cause problems for robot programmers and operators, occurring when a robot has an infinite number of kinematic possibilities to reach the same end position. This can lead to the robot faulting out if it cannot decide which solution to take. FANUC offers a tool called Singularity avoidance, which provides built-in intelligence to the robot to force a specific solution and prevent singularity. Singularity occurs in six-axis or more robots, especially when J5 is at zero, and it can happen in various positions in the robot's workspace. Possible solutions to fix singularity include physically relocating the robot, changing the conveyor or pick-place locations, and experimenting with moving the tooling. Planning ahead and designing around singularity in the initial stages can also prevent singularity issues.