A robotics-control processor for performing real-time inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics calculations involving three-dimensional vectors. The processor employs a three-wide register and execution unit architecture, pipelined instructions, and register-to-register data processing to achieve rapid vector calculations. Broadcast buffers for exchanging operands between register files, and operand multiplexing at several levels within the processor allow program operation flexibility. In a preferred embodiment, the processor includes a CORDIC algorithm unit for rapid vector rotation and trigonometric function calculations.