Glossary · Robotics
SCARA
Also known as: Selective compliance assembly robot arm, Selective compliance articulated robot arm
German: SCARA
In robotics, SCARA stands for selective compliance assembly (or articulated) robot arm: a kinematic arrangement with two parallel rotary joints in a horizontal plane, a vertical linear axis and usually a rotary axis at the tool, which is compliant in the horizontal plane and stiff in the vertical direction.
- Robotics
In one sentence
SCARA (selective compliance assembly robot arm) is a kinematic layout with parallel vertical rotary axes, stiff vertically and compliant sideways.
Example
The SCARA arrangement lets the arm give slightly sideways when a pin meets a chamfered hole, while pressing firmly downward.
How it applies
- Engineering: The name describes the mechanical principle: selective compliance means the arm yields in the horizontal plane but not vertically. This suits vertical insertion and pick-and-place with four Degrees of freedom.
- Operation: Because all rotary axes are vertical, the tool cannot be tilted; tasks needing angled approaches require another robot type.
- Documentation: The documentation team should expand the acronym once and then use SCARA as an adjective (SCARA robot, SCARA kinematics). Record both expansions (assembly, articulated) as variants in the terminology database.
SCARA vs. SCARA robot
SCARA names the kinematic principle; SCARA robot names the machine built on it. In most texts the two are used interchangeably, and the German term is the same.