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Robot Arm Kinematics Visualizer
Adjust shoulder and elbow joint angles and segment lengths for a simple 2-link robot arm and see the resulting end-effector position update live on a 2D forward-kinematics diagram.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
45°
-60°
How it works
- Set the length of each of the two arm segments.
- Drag the shoulder and elbow angle sliders.
- The diagram recalculates the joint and end-effector positions live using standard forward-kinematics trigonometry.
FAQ
What is forward kinematics?
Forward kinematics computes where the end of a robot arm (the "end-effector") ends up in space, given known joint angles and segment lengths — the opposite of inverse kinematics, which solves for the angles needed to reach a target position.
Why is the elbow angle relative to the first segment?
This visualizer treats the elbow angle as relative to the shoulder segment's direction, matching how most real robot arm joints are specified — the total angle of the second segment is the sum of both joint angles, which is why the math accumulates them.
What does the dashed circle represent?
It's the arm's maximum reach — the full extended length of both segments combined — showing every point the end-effector could theoretically touch regardless of joint angle combination.
2D teaching visualizer vs. real robot simulation software
| Feature | This visualizer | Robot simulation software (e.g. ROS/Gazebo) |
|---|---|---|
| Instant 2D intuition building | ✓ | ✗ |
| 3D multi-joint physics and collision | ✗ | ✓ |
A quick way to build intuition for 2-link forward kinematics before moving to full robotics simulation tools.