Most industrial robot arms are holonomic (each joint’s position determines the end-effector’s position). However, underactuated robots (e.g., a free-floating space robot with fewer actuators than degrees of freedom) exhibit non-holonomic behavior. By moving joints in cycles, the base orientation can be changed without external thrusters.
So, the next time you parallel park perfectly on the first try, give yourself a pat on the back. You just successfully solved a complex non-holonomic motion planning problem in real-time. non holonomic
The classic example is your car.
If you can move in any direction from point A to point B without any fancy maneuvering, you are dealing with a holonomic system. Most industrial robot arms are holonomic (each joint’s
