What is a SCARA Robot?

SCARA Robots are a popular option for small robotic assembly applications. SCARA is an acronym for Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm, meaning it is compliant in the X-Y axis, and rigid in the Z-axis. The SCARA configuration is unique and designed to handle a variety of material handling operations.

The SCARA’s structure consists of two arms joined at the base and the intersection of arms one and two. Two independent motors use inverse kinematics and interpolation at joints J1 and J2 to control the SCARA’s X-Y motion. The final X-Y location at the end of arm two is a factor of the J1 angle, J2 angle, length of arm one and length of arm two.