What is the first step to recover from a singularity?

• A. Move Joint 5 ±10 degrees
• B. Return to prior cartesian motion
• C. Press COORD key to select Joint
• D. Power cycle the controller

Answer: (C)

When a singularity occurs, the arm’s end effector loses one or more directions of motion because the Jacobian becomes ill-conditioned. In that moment, Cartesian moves can stall or behave unpredictably, and you need a way to reconfigure the arm to regain full control.

The first step to recover is to switch to joint-coordinate control. By pressing the COORD key and selecting the joint option, you move from controlling the end effector in Cartesian space to controlling the individual joints in joint space. This lets you nudge the joints to a different configuration that breaks the singular posture, restoring freedom to move in Cartesian directions again.

After you’ve moved away from the singularity, you can switch back to Cartesian control and continue with standard operations. Other options—like nudging a single joint a small amount, returning to prior Cartesian motion, or power cycling—don’t guarantee escape from the singularity and can be unsafe or unnecessary in this context.