Advanced Robotics Applications

NPTEL — Complete Assignment Q&A (Assignments 0–8)

Exam Revision Guide 2026

Assignment 0 – Prerequisites / Mathematics

Q1. Position vectors of two particles are a = 2i − 3j and b = 5i + j. Find the distance
between them.
Answer: 5 (distance = √((5−2)² + (1−(−3))²) = √(9+16) = √25 = 5)
Q2. For a 3-link planar manipulator with link lengths l1, l2, l3, write the expression for
the end-effector position Pe = (x, y) in terms of joint angles θ1, θ2, θ3.
Answer: x = l1·cos θ1 + l2·cos(θ1+θ2) + l3·cos(θ1+θ2+θ3) y = l1·sin θ1 + l2·sin(θ1+θ2) +
l3·sin(θ1+θ2+θ3)
Q3. For x = 2cosθ1 + cos(θ1+θ2) + cos(θ1+θ2+θ3), y = 2sinθ1 + sin(θ1+θ2) +
sin(θ1+θ2+θ3), find det(J̃) where J̃ = JJᵀ at θ1=30°, θ2=0°, θ3=0°.
Answer: 0
Q4. For a two-link manipulator (l1=2, l2=1), find θ2 for a singular configuration (|J|=0).
Answer: 0°
Q5. Given rotation matrix R (rotation about Z-axis) with R[1,1]=0.6, R[1,2]=−0.8,
R[2,1]=0.8, R[2,2]=0.6, find R⁻¹.
Answer: R⁻¹ = Rᵀ = [[0.6, 0.8, 0], [−0.8, 0.6, 0], [0, 0, 1]]
Q6. Find the rank of A = [[1,1,2],[2,1,3],[3,2,5]].
Answer: 2
Q7. What conditions on b1, b2, b3, b4 make the system [1,2;2,4;3,5;4,8][x1;x2] =
[b1;b2;b3;b4] solvable?
Answer: b2 = 2b1, b4 = 4b1
Q8. For what value of k does [[1,2,3],[2,4,6],[1,2,k]][x;y;z]=[1;2;1] have infinitely many
solutions?
Answer: 3
Q9. Which pairs are orthogonal among v1=[1,0,1,0], v2=[0,1,0,1], v3=[1,1,−1,−1],
v4=[1,−1,1,−1]?
Answer: v1⊥v2, v1⊥v3, v2⊥v3, v3⊥v4
Q10. Which transformations satisfy both T(v+w)=T(v)+T(w) and T(cv)=cT(v)? (a)
T(v)=v+c, (b) T(v)=Av, (c) T(v)=||v||², (d) T(v)=proj_u(v)
Answer: (b) and (d) satisfy both conditions. (a) fails T(v+w)=T(v)+T(w); (c) fails T(cv)=cT(v).
Assignment 1 – Introduction to Robotics
Q1. What is automation?
Answer: Replacing of human muscular power
Q2. In 1921, the word 'robot' was first used by whom?
Answer: Karel Čapek
Q3. Name the two joints shown (prismatic/linear slider and crankshaft mechanism).
Answer: Prismatic, Revolute (in that order)
Q4. How many DOF are required at minimum to pick up a box from a table and place it
in another position?
Answer: 4 DOF
Q5. What is the work volume of a Cartesian 3-DOF robot with three prismatic joints of
equal range?
Answer: Cube
Q6. The work area of a 2-DOF (2R) planar arm is maximum when the ratio of two link
lengths is:
Answer: One (ratio = 1)
Q7. The rotation of a body is represented by:
Answer: A 3×3 rotation matrix
Q8. The modulus of each column of the rotation matrix is:
Answer: 1
Q9. The determinant of the rotation matrix is:
Answer: +1
Q10. Frame B is rotated 60° about Z-axis of A. Coordinates of point P in B are (1,1,1).
What are coordinates in A?
Answer: (−0.36, 1.36, 1) [Using R_z(60°)·[1;1;1]]
Assignment 2 – DH Parameters
Q1. The shortest distance between the z-axes of subsequent frames is the:
Answer: Link length (a_{i-1})
Q2. Name the four DH parameters.
Answer: a_{i-1} = link length, α_{i-1} = link twist, d_i = link offset, θ_i = joint angle
Q3. For a 3-DOF planar manipulator (all z-axes out of plane), write the complete DH
table.
Answer: Row 1: (a=0, α=0, d=0, θ=θ1) | Row 2: (a=l1, α=0, d=0, θ=θ2) | Row 3: (a=l2, α=0,
d=0, θ=θ3)
Q3. The second row of the DH table for the 3-DOF planar manipulator is:
Answer: l1, 0, 0, θ2
Q4. Referring to the solution of Q3, the third row of the DH table is:
Answer: l2, 0, 0, θ3
Q5. For the cylindrical-prismatic manipulator shown, write the DH table. What is the
second row?
Answer: 0, −90°, d2, 0 (joint variables: θ1, d2, θ3)
Q6. Referring to the figure in Q3, the coordinates of the origin of Frame {2} (with l1=l2=1)
are:
Answer: cos θ1, sin θ1
Q7. Referring to the figure in Q3, the coordinates of the origin of Frame {3} (with l1=l2=1)
are:
Answer: cos θ1 + cos(θ1+θ2), sin θ1 + sin(θ1+θ2)
Q8. For the SCARA robot shown (4 joints), write the DH table. What is the second row?
Answer: L1, 0, 0, θ2 (Full table: Row1: 0,0,0,θ1 | Row2: L1,0,0,θ2 | Row3: L2,0,d3,0 | Row4:
0,180°,L4,θ4)
Q9. Referring to the SCARA solution (Q8), the third row of the DH table is:
Answer: L2, 0, d3, 0
Q10. Referring to the SCARA solution (Q8), the fourth row of the DH table is:
Answer: 0, 180°, L4, θ4
Assignment 3 – Forward Kinematics & Trajectories
Q1. For a PUMA robot, the sixth row of the DH table (in sequence α, a, d, θ) is:
Answer: (−90°, 0, 0, θ6)
Q2. Finding the position and orientation of the end effector given the joint angles is
called:
Answer: Forward kinematics
Q3. For a 3-DOF planar manipulator, the third row of the DH table (in sequence a, α, d, θ)
is:
Answer: (l2, 0, 0, θ3)
Q4. Given position and orientation of the end effector, inverse kinematics solves for:
Answer: Joint angles
Q5. When a manipulator moves from start to goal point, the joint angle trajectory can be
represented by a:
Answer: Cubic spline
Q6. A single joint arm moves from 0° to 60° in 10 s, at rest at start and stop. Fit cubic
polynomial and find coefficient a2 (for term a2·t²).
Answer: a2 = 1.8 deg/s² [Solution: θ(t)=a2t²+a3t³; boundary conditions give a3=−0.12,
a2=1.8]
Q7. If a cubic polynomial represents a joint trajectory, then:
Answer: Acceleration cannot be zero at start and stop
Q8. The resolution of angular position measurement by an incremental encoder can be
increased by using:
Answer: Two encoders in parallel with an XOR gate
Q9. A Hall effect sensor is used to sense:
Answer: Magnet
Q10. In an ultrasonic motor, piezo-electric material is used to construct:
Answer: Stator
Assignment 4 – Control & Programming
Q1. When modelled as a single input single output system, the dynamics in a robotic
manipulator affecting the control system is taken as:
Answer: Zero (0)
Q2. In a PID controller, the values of the gains are chosen such that the system is:
Answer: Critically damped
Q3. In a position regulator problem m=b=k=1, for kp=15 the system is critically damped.
Find kv.
Answer: 7
Q4. In the experiment dealing with PID control of a DC motor, which gain has the
smallest value?
Answer: Proportional gain
Q5. In drawing a straight line by the 2DOF planar robot arm, the line was not very
straight because of:
Answer: All of the above (gear backlash, potentiometer inaccuracy, inaccurate PWM control)
Q6. When picking up an object by the gripper, the VAL II command used to open the
gripper is:
Answer: OPENI
Q7. In defining a point in space P1 = 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, the roll, pitch and yaw angles are:
Answer: 10, 20, 30
Q8. What does the command 'APPRO D1 200' mean?
Answer: Move to D1 and keep a distance of 200 in the z-direction
Q9. A microcontroller has:
Answer: Internal memory
Q10. In an Arduino program, 'digitalWrite(15, LOW)' means:
Answer: Change the state of pin number 15 to low
Assignment 5 – Arduino & Sensors
Q1. The 3.3 V pin of the Arduino Uno board is used to:
Answer: Power external low power electronic devices only
Q2. Which of the following pins can be used to ground the onboard/external
electronics?
Answer: GND
Q3. In Arduino Uno, the onboard built-in LED is connected to pin number:
Answer: Digital pin 13
Q4. The PWM wave is set at 25% duty cycle. The average voltage output is:
Answer: 1.25 V (25% of 5V = 1.25V)
Q5. The statement 'pinMode(10, INPUT);' means:
Answer: Pin number 10 is set to receive external inputs
Q6. The statement 'pinMode(inputPin, INPUT_PULLUP);' means:
Answer: Pin inputPin is set to receive signal and is at 5V if unconnected
Q7. Which sensor is commonly used to measure angular position of the motor shaft in a
closed-loop control system?
Answer: Incremental encoder
Q8. In the experiment for glowing a red and blue LED using a joystick, the joystick
position is sensed by:
Answer: Potentiometer
Q9. The statement 'pinMode(encoderPin1, INPUT_PULLUP);' does:
Answer: Connects the encoderPin1 to an internal pull-up resistor in the Atmega chip
Q10. In the statement 'delay(500);', the amount of delay in seconds is:
Answer: 0.5 seconds
Assignment 6 – Motors & Experiments
Q1. In a stepper motor, the stator is normally:
Answer: A set of coils
Q2. In single step mode of a stepper motor:
Answer: Only one coil is activated at a time
Q3. A servo motor can be controlled using PWM by:
Answer: Changing the pulse width
Q4. In a servo motor, the output link's position is sensed by:
Answer: Potentiometer
Q5. In the DC motor experiment, the rotor position is measured by:
Answer: Magnetic encoder
Q6. In the PID control experiment of a DC motor, which gain had the smallest value?
Answer: Integral gain
Q7. In speed control of a DC motor, the motor speed is controlled by:
Answer: Changing the pulse width of PWM signal
Q8. The robot used in the experiment for forward and inverse kinematics had which
joints?
Answer: 2 revolute joints
Q9. In the forward kinematics experiment for the second arm, how many maximum
solutions were there?
Answer: 2
Q10. In drawing a straight line, the line was not very straight because of errors due to:
Answer: All of the above (backlash, potentiometer, inaccurate PWM control)
Assignment 7 – Mobile Robots & Legged Robots
Q1. How many joints does the parallel robot (explained in lecture) have, excluding the
pen actuator?
Answer: Five
Q2. A mobile robot can avoid obstacles on the floor using:
Answer: Ultrasonic sensor
Q3. How many degrees of freedom does the Svaya robot have?
Answer: Six, excluding gripper
Q4. The foot placement pattern for a legged robot is called:
Answer: Gait
Q5. The zero moment point on the foot sole is defined as:
Answer: A point about which the net moment of contact forces is zero
Q6. A biped robot that can walk down an inclined plane without external power is called:
Answer: Passive walker
Q7. In the mobile robot experiment, the robot can move in a straight line:
Answer: If both wheels move in the same direction AND at the same speed (both (a) and (b))
Q8. In the serial and parallel robot experiments, the movement of the pen is controlled
by:
Answer: Servo motor
Q9. How many degrees of freedom do two links in a plane have (without any joints
connecting them)?
Answer: Six (each rigid body in 2D has 3 DOF, so 2 links = 6 DOF)
Q10. The mobile robot used in the experiment cannot move:
Answer: Sideways
Assignment 8 – Human-Robot Interaction & Biped Walking
Q1. The human walking gait consists of:
Answer: DSP–SSP–DSP–SSP (DSP = Double Support Phase, SSP = Single Support Phase)
Q2. The optimal leg trajectory during walk is found by forming a cost function that:
Answer: Minimizes energy
Q3. If deformation at the sole of the foot is considered, then total energy consumed
during walk is:
Answer: Reduced
Q4. If a compliant C-section is added to the link of a biped robot, then the deflection of
the compliant section:
Answer: Cannot be directly controlled
Q5. As per industrial standards, industrial robots and humans in industries work in:
Answer: Different workspaces
Q6. The main difference between an industrial robot and a collaborative robot is that in
a collaborative robot there is:
Answer: Physical contact between the robot and the human
Q7. The human joints have:
Answer: Varying axes of rotation
Q8. A finger exoskeleton joint that can replicate the human joint axis can be made
using:
Answer: 4-bar mechanism
Q9. In a BCI for activating a robotic hand exoskeleton, which two brain waves are
useful?
Answer: Mu and beta waves
Q10. An impedance control system actuates a hand exoskeleton for stroke patient. The
level of assistance can be changed by:
Answer: The values of M and C (not just stiffness alone)