End effector

End effector on the Canadarm2 multifunctional robot arm

In robotics, the end effector is the last element of a kinematic chain . For industrial robots , this may be for example a unit for welding of car bodies or generally a simple gripper act in humanoid robots , these are, for example, the hands.

The point at the end of the kinematic chain, known as TCP (Tool Center Point), is the target system for which the positioning requirements resulting from the task at hand apply. Depending on the task, the TCP can also be located outside the robot, examples would be the focus of a gripped laser or the center of the object being transported.

See also:

• Actuator
• Effector
• Gripping system