Robotics in Manufacturing

Motion

Singularity

A singularity is a robot configuration where two or more joint axes align, causing the controller to lose a usable solution for smooth Cartesian motion.

Near a singularity, small changes in tool position require very large, fast joint moves, which can trigger a following error or velocity fault.

Common types include wrist singularities, where axes 4 and 6 line up, and shoulder or elbow singularities near the reach limit.

Related terms

inverse kinematicswrist flipfollowing errorjoint space

Common questions

What does Singularity mean?
A singularity is a robot configuration where two or more joint axes align, causing the controller to lose a usable solution for smooth Cartesian motion.
Why does Singularity matter?
Near a singularity, small changes in tool position require very large, fast joint moves, which can trigger a following error or velocity fault.