A novel quantum model of forward kinematics based on quaternion/Pauli gate equivalence: Application to a six-jointed industrial robotic arm

A novel quantum-based kinematic model for computing the position and the orientation of the six-jointed IRB 140 ABB robotic arm is presented. Position is determined through successive elementary translations and rotations from the end effector down to the base frame, whereas orientation is derived from quaternion representation. The model is based on the equivalence between quaternions and Pauli matrices or gates. Based on comparison to experimental results, the quantum kinematic model is valid. Its main advantage is that it uses only one qubit to model both position and orientation, which represents a major saving in terms of computing resources and time. This model could guide development of other quantum models and simulation software to be used in future quantum computers and could also inform classical computing theory for robotic arm kinematics modeling. •A novel kinematic model based on quantum computing with a single quaternion pair.•Quaternion to Pauli matrix equivalence.•Experimental validation of the new method.