Optimal Design of Safe Planar Manipulators Using Passive Torque Limiters

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiying Zhang ◽  
Clément Gosselin
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Passive Torque ◽  
Planar Manipulators ◽  
Force Mapping ◽  
Robot Cooperation ◽  
Actuated Joints ◽  
Synthesis Approach ◽  
Proper Force

This paper presents a synthesis approach to build safe planar serial robotic mechanisms for applications in human–robot cooperation. The basic concept consists in using torque limiting devices that slip when a prescribed torque is exceeded so that the maximum force and the maximum power that the robot can apply to its environment are limited. In order to alleviate the effect of the change of pose of the robot on the joint to Cartesian force mapping, it is proposed to include more torque limiters than actuated joints. The design of isotropic force modules is addressed in order to produce proper force capabilities while ensuring safety. The proposed isotropic module of torque limiting devices leads to such characteristics. In addition to modeling the contact forces at the end-effector, the forces that can be applied by the robot to its environment when contact is taking place elsewhere along its links are also analyzed as well as the power of potential collisions. Examples of manipulator architectures and their static analysis are given. Finally, the design of a spatial serial manipulator using the isotropic planar force modules developed in the paper is illustrated.

FORCE-UNCONSTRAINED POSES FOR PARALLEL MANIPULATORS WITH REDUNDANT ACTUATED BRANCHES

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavio Firmani ◽  
Ron P. Podhorodeski
Keyword(s):  
Dimensional Space ◽  
Parallel Manipulators ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Input And Output ◽  
Planar Manipulators ◽  
Order Polynomial ◽  
Prismatic Joints ◽  
Redundantly Actuated ◽  
Actuated Joints ◽  
Planar Parallel Manipulators

A study of the effect of including a redundant actuated branch on the existence of force-unconstrained configurations for a planar parallel layout of joints is presented1. Two methodologies for finding the force-unconstrained poses are described and discussed. The first method involves the differentiation of the nonlinear kinematic constraints of the input and output variables with respect to time. The second method makes use of the reciprocal screws associated with the actuated joints. The force-unconstrained poses of non-redundantly actuated planar parallel manipulators can be mathematically expressed by means of a polynomial in terms of the three variables that define the dimensional space of the planar manipulator, i.e., the location and orientation of the end-effector. The inclusion of redundant actuated branches leads to a system of polynomials, i.e., one additional polynomial for each redundant branch added. Elimination methods are employed to reduce the number of variables by one for every additional polynomial. This leads to a higher order polynomial with fewer variables. The roots of the resulting polynomial describe the force-unconstrained poses of the manipulator. For planar manipulators it is shown that one order of infinity of force-unconstrained configurations is eliminated for every actuated branch, beyond three, added. As an example, the four-branch revolute-prismatic-revolute mechanism (4-RPR), where the prismatic joints are actuated, is presented.

Force Capabilities of Two-Degree-of-Freedom Serial Robots Equipped With Passive Isotropic Force Limiters

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiying Zhang ◽  
Thierry Laliberté ◽  
Clément Gosselin
Keyword(s):  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Degree Of Freedom ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Serial Robots ◽  
Serial Robot ◽  
Maximum Contact ◽  
Two Degree Of Freedom

This paper proposes the use of passive force and torque limiting devices to bound the maximum forces that can be applied at the end-effector or along the links of a robot, thereby ensuring the safety of human-robot interaction. Planar isotropic force limiting modules are proposed and used to analyze the force capabilities of a two-degree-of-freedom planar serial robot. The force capabilities at the end-effector are first analyzed. It is shown that, using isotropic force limiting modules, the performance to safety index remains excellent for all configurations of the robot. The maximum contact forces along the links of the robot are then analyzed. Force and torque limiters are distributed along the structure of the robot in order to ensure that the forces applied at any point of contact along the links are bounded. A power analysis is then presented in order to support the results. Finally, examples of mechanical designs of force/torque limiters are shown to illustrate a possible practical implementation of the concept.

Development of an End-Effector for Mitigation of Collisions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Tommasino ◽  
Matteo Bottin ◽  
Giulio Cipriani ◽  
Alberto Doria ◽  
Giulio Rosati
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Linear Behavior ◽  
Stable Mechanism ◽  
Robot Tasks ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In robotics the risk of collisions is present both in industrial applications and in remote handling. If a collision occurs, the impact may damage both the robot and external equipment, which may result in successive imprecise robot tasks or line stops, reducing robot efficiency. As a result, appropriate collision avoidance algorithms should be used or, if it is not possible, the robot must be able to react to impacts reducing the contact forces. For this purpose, this paper focuses on the development of a special end-effector that can withstand impacts and is able to protect the robot from impulsive forces. The novel end-effector is based on a bi-stable mechanism that decouples the dynamics of the end-effector from the dynamics of the robot. The intrinsically non-linear behavior of the end-effector is investigated with the aid of numerical simulations. The effect of design parameters and the operating conditions are analyzed and the interaction between the functioning of the bi-stable mechanism and the control system is studied. In particular, the effect of the mechanism in different scenarios characterized by different robot velocities is shown. Results of numerical simulations assess the validity of the proposed end-effector, which can lead to large reductions in impact forces.

Experimental Validation of the Kinematics of a 3PRS Compliant Mechanism for Micromilling

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Ruiz ◽  
Francisco Campa Gomez ◽  
Constantino Roldan-Paraponiaris ◽  
Oscar Altuzarra
Keyword(s):  
Parallel Mechanism ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Experimental Validation ◽  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Motion Controller ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Compliant Joints ◽  
Hybrid Manipulator ◽  
Compliant Parallel Mechanism ◽  
Actuated Joints

The present work deals with the development of a hybrid manipulator of 5 degrees of freedom for milling moulds for microlenses. The manipulator is based on a XY stage under a 3PRS compliant parallel mechanism. The mechanism takes advantage of the compliant joints to achieve higher repetitiveness, smoother motion and a higher bandwidth, due to the high precision demanded from the process, under 0.1 micrometers. This work is focused on the kinematics of the compliant stage of the hybrid manipulator. First, an analysis of the workspace required for the milling of a single mould has been performed, calculating the displacements required in X, Y, Z axis as well as two relative rotations between the tool and the workpiece from a programmed toolpath. Then, the 3PRS compliant parallel mechanism has been designed using FEM with the objective of being stiff enough to support the cutting forces from the micromilling, but flexible enough in the revolution and spherical compliant joints to provide the displacements needed. Finally, a prototype of the 3PRS compliant mechanism has been built, implementing a motion controller to perform translations in Z direction and two rotations. The resulting displacements in the end effector and the actuated joints have been measured and compared with the FEM calculations and with the rigid body kinematics of the 3PRS.

scholarly journals Modal Kinematic Analysis of a Parallel Kinematic Robot with Low-Stiffness Transmissions

Robotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Paolo Righettini ◽  
Roberto Strada ◽  
Filippo Cortinovis
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Parallel Robots ◽  
Maximum Speed ◽  
Kinematic Structure ◽  
End Effector ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Working Space ◽  
Modes Of Vibration ◽  
Parallel Kinematic ◽  
Actuated Joints

Several industrial robotic applications that require high speed or high stiffness-to-inertia ratios use parallel kinematic robots. In the cases where the critical point of the application is the speed, the compliance of the main mechanical transmissions placed between the actuators and the parallel kinematic structure can be significantly higher than that of the parallel kinematic structure itself. This paper deals with this kind of system, where the overall performance depends on the maximum speed and on the dynamic behavior. Our research proposes a new approach for the investigation of the modes of vibration of the end-effector placed on the robot structure for a system where the transmission’s compliance is not negligible in relation to the flexibility of the parallel kinematic structure. The approach considers the kinematic and dynamic coupling due to the parallel kinematic structure, the system’s mass distribution and the transmission’s stiffness. In the literature, several papers deal with the dynamic vibration analysis of parallel robots. Some of these also consider the transmissions between the motors and the actuated joints. However, these works mainly deal with the modal analysis of the robot’s mechanical structure or the displacement analysis of the transmission’s effects on the positioning error of the end-effector. The discussion of the proposed approach takes into consideration a linear delta robot. The results show that the system’s natural frequencies and the directions of the end-effector’s modal displacements strongly depend on its position in the working space.

A non-overconstrained variant of the Agile Eye with a special decoupled kinematics

Robotica ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 889-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin-Hsing Kuo ◽  
Jian S. Dai ◽  
Giovanni Legnani
Keyword(s):  
Angular Displacement ◽  
Universal Joint ◽  
Special Configuration ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Revolute Joint ◽  
Revolute Joints ◽  
Prismatic Joints ◽  
Decoupled Motion ◽  
Orientation Mechanism ◽  
Actuated Joints

SUMMARYA non-overconstrained three-DOF parallel orientation mechanism that is kinematically equivalent to the Agile Eye is presented in this paper. The output link (end-effector) of the mechanism is connected to the base by one spherical joint and by another three identical legs. Each leg comprises of, in turns from base, a revolute joint, a universal joint, and three prismatic joints. The three lower revolute joints are active joints, while all other joints are passive ones. Based on a special configuration, some three projective angles of the end-effector coordinates are fully decoupled with respect to the input actuated joints, that is, by actuating any revolute joint the end-effector rotates in such a way that the corresponding projective angle changes with the same angular displacement. The fully decoupled motion is analyzed geometrically and proved theoretically. Besides, the inverse and direct kinematics solutions of the mechanism are provided based on the geometric reasoning and theoretical proof.

The Influence of Partial Force Balancing on the Shaking Moments, Contact Forces, and Precision of a Delta Robot-Like Manipulator in a Compliant Frame

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan J. de Jong ◽  
J. P. Meijaard ◽  
Volkert van der Wijk
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Force Balance ◽  
Dynamic Loads ◽  
Accuracy Improvement ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Pick And Place ◽  
Delta Robot ◽  
Full Force ◽  
Typical Design

For the Delta robot, a high-speed parallel pick-and-place manipulator, base vibrations are a significant problem. Especially since the Delta robot is suspended above its workpiece, it requires a large, stiff, and heavy base frame for fast and accurate motions. Dynamic balancing of the shaking forces and the shaking moments is a known technique to reduce the dynamic loads on the base frame and to the surroundings. In this paper it is investigated how solely with partial force balancing, dynamic loads and pick-and-place accuracy of a Delta robot-like manipulator can be improved, considering also the compliance of the base frame. This is done since partial force balance solutions can be implemented relatively simply in the current Delta robot designs, whereas full force and moment balance solutions are complex to apply in practice. Numerical simulations with a representative planar model of a Delta robot-like manipulator with a compliant base frame show that with an increasing amount of force balance the shaking moments increase up to 16% for full force balance. The floor contact forces first reduce and then increase with increasing force balance. With 43% force balance the floor contact forces are minimal, giving a 63% reduction. The end-effector accuracy slightly improves with increasing force balance until full force balance yields a 31% accuracy improvement. A further increase of the force (over) balance shows a 59% improvement of end-effector accuracy for 350% force balance. These effects are mainly due to the typical design of the Delta robot base frame and the way the robot is mounted to it.

Orientation capability representation and application to manipulator analysis and synthesis

Robotica ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 529-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paresh Shah ◽  
Jian S. Dai
Keyword(s):  
Transcendental Equation ◽  
Polar Coordinates ◽  
Compact Form ◽  
Link Length ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Planar Manipulators ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis

SummaryThis paper proposes a new orientation representation of planar manipulators by resorting to polar coordinates. Connecting the end-effector point to the first joint of a manipulator with a virtual adjustable link, the length of the adjustable link corresponds to a workspace point and is related to the orientation of the end effector link by a virtual angle in the form of a transcendental equation. Plotting this link length against the virtual angle in polar coordinates, the orientation of a manipulator can be represented in a compact form, and the range of partial dexterity can be identified. The characteristics of the new representation is hence revealed and related to the assessment of an orientation capability of a manipulator. Based on this representation, a desirable task can be presented and a manipulator can be synthesised with the required orientation.

scholarly journals Redundancy Resolution Using Tractrix: Simulations and Experiments

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. C. Ravi ◽  
Subrata Rakshit ◽  
Ashitava Ghosal
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Redundancy Resolution ◽  
Redundant Manipulator ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Redundant Robots ◽  
Natural Motion ◽  
Fixed Base ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Actuated Joints ◽  
Present Simulation

Hyper-redundant robots are characterized by the presence of a large number of actuated joints, many more than the number required to perform a given task. These robots have been proposed and used for many application involving avoiding obstacles or, in general, to provide enhanced dexterity in performing tasks. Making effective use of the extra degrees of freedom or resolution of redundancy have been an extensive topic of research and several methods have been proposed in literature. In this paper, we compare three known methods and show that an algorithm based on a classical curve called the tractrix leads to a more ‘natural’ motion of the hyper-redundant robot with the displacements diminishing from the end-effector to the fixed base. In addition, since the actuators at the base ‘see’ the inertia of all links, smaller motion of the actuators nearer to the base results in a smoother motion of the end-effector as compared to other two approaches. We present simulation and experimental results performed on a prototype eight link planar hyper-redundant manipulator.

A new scheme for hybrid force-position control

Robotica ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 453-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Perdereau ◽  
Michel Drouin
Keyword(s):  
Position Control ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
End Effector ◽  
Complex Tasks ◽  
To Come ◽  
Tip Position ◽  
Robotic Tasks

SUMMARYMany robotic tasks require the end-effector to come into contact with the external environment. In such complex tasks, the manipulator is constrained by the environment, and certain DOFs are lost for motion. The contact forces must be controlled in constraint directions, while the tip position is simultaneously controlled in the free directions.

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