LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 1.1. The Florida Laboratory. ............................................................................ 2 3.1. Kinematic link frames as attached to the links of a manipulator (Paul, 1981). ..... 15 4.1. The three degree-of-freedom orange-picking robot. ......................................... 22 4.2. Base support stand of the robot. ................................................................... 23 4.3. Outer link of the robot. ............................................................................... 24 4.4. The inner link ............................................................................................... 25 4.5. The sliding link .......................................................................................... .. 26 4.6. I/O hardware architecture of the control computer. ......................................... 27 4.7. Organization of the robot programming environment. ......................................... 30 4.8. Cutaway side view of the picking mechanism showing the position of the ultrasonic transducer, the color CCD camera, and the lights. .............................. 32 4.9. Top view of the picking mechanism showing the drive linkage and the lever arm for actuating the rotating lip mechanism. ................................... .......... 32 4.10. Picking mechanism actuation assembly. ......................................... ........... 33 4.11. Front view of the picking mechanism showing the color CCD camera, ultrasonic transducer, and the four lights. .................................................................. 34 4.12. Horizontal field of view of the color CCD camera and lens combination in the vertical plane. ........................................................... ................................ 35 4.13. Vertical field of view of the color CCD camera and lens combination in the horizontal plane. ......................................................... .............................. 35 4.14. Circuit diagram of hydraulic power unit. ........................................ .......... 36 4.15. Circuit diagram of hydraulic actuators for joints 0 and 1 ..................................... 37 4.16 Circuit diagram of hydraulic motor actualtor for joint 2. .................................... 37 4.17. Circuit diagram of picking mechanism lip actuator. ........................................ 38 4.18. Circuit diagram of the position sensing potentiometers. ..................................... 39 vii