Determination of the Workspace of Parallel Manipulators Using a CAD Software and the Concept of Virtual Chains

Author(s):  
Andrew Johnson ◽  
Xianwen Kong

Development of a new parallel manipulator can be very time consuming due to the traditional method of producing kinematic, dynamic and static calculation models and then evaluating them to determine aspects of the manipulator’s performance indices such as the mechanism’s workspace and singularity analysis. By extending the virtual chain approach to the type synthesis of parallel manipulators, this paper proposes a virtual-chain approach to the workspace analysis of parallel manipulators. This method is illustrated by producing and evaluating the workspace of several parallel robots including the well known DELTA robot by utilising the three-dimensional CAD software SolidWorks to produce a virtual prototype of a manipulator with an embedded virtual chain. The virtual chain represents the motion pattern of a manipulator’s end-effector and is very useful in the production of a graphical representation of the workspace of the manipulator. Using this approach, the link interferences and transmission indices can be easily taken into consideration in determining the workspace of a parallel manipulator.

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Johnson ◽  
Xianwen Kong ◽  
James Ritchie

The determination of workspace is an essential step in the development of parallel manipulators. By extending the virtual-chain (VC) approach to the type synthesis of parallel manipulators, this technical brief proposes a VC approach to the workspace analysis of parallel manipulators. This method is first outlined before being illustrated by the production of a three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided-design (CAD) model of a 3-RPS parallel manipulator and evaluating it for the workspace of the manipulator. Here, R, P and S denote revolute, prismatic and spherical joints respectively. The VC represents the motion capability of moving platform of a manipulator and is shown to be very useful in the production of a graphical representation of the workspace. Using this approach, the link interferences and certain transmission indices can be easily taken into consideration in determining the workspace of a parallel manipulator.


Author(s):  
C. Gosselin

Abstract This paper presents an algorithm for the determination of the workspace of parallel manipulators. The method described here, which is based on geometrical properties of the workspace, leads to a simple graphical representation of the regions of the three-dimensional Cartesian space that are attainable by the manipulator with a given orientation of the platform. Moreover, the volume of the workspace can be easily computed by performing an integration on its boundary, which is obtained from the algorithm. Examples are included to illustrate the application of the method to a six-degree-of-freedom fully-parallel manipulator.


1990 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Gosselin

This paper presents an algorithm for the determination of the workspace of parallel manipulators. The method described here, which is based on geometrical properties of the workspace, leads to a simple graphical representation of the regions of the three-dimensional Cartesian space that are attainable by the manipulator with a given orientation of the platform. Moreover, the volume of the workspace can be easily computed by performing an integration in its boundary, which is obtained from the algorithm. Examples are included to illustrate the application of the method to a six-degree-of-freedom fully parallel manipulator.


Author(s):  
Clément M. Gosselin ◽  
Eric Lavoie ◽  
Pierre Toutant

Abstract This paper presents an algorithm for the graphical representation of the three-dimensional workspace of six-degree-of-freedom parallel manipulators. In fact, the algorithm introduced here follows from previous work on the subject (Gosselin 1990). In the latter reference, an algorithm was developed to obtain analytical expressions of the boundaries of the workspace. However, the method was applicable to two-dimensional sections of the workspace only. Therefore, a three-dimensional representation of the workspace, i.e., the set of positions attainable with a given orientation of the platform, could only be obtained by discretization. The algorithm introduced here involves the determination of analytical expressions of the boundaries of the three-dimensional workspace. Hence, it results in a very efficient procedure which can be performed interactively, in a context of CAD. The algorithm is described in detail in this paper. Examples of results that have been obtained with this algorithm are also presented.


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Jun Liu ◽  
Chao Wu ◽  
Jinsong Wang

Singularity analysis is one of the most important issues in the field of parallel manipulators. An approach for singularity analysis should be able to not only identify all possible singularities but also explain their physical meanings. Since a parallel manipulator is always out of control at a singularity and its neighborhood, it should work far from singular configurations. However, how to measure the closeness between a pose and a singular configuration is still a challenging problem. This paper presents a new approach for singularity analysis of parallel manipulators by taking into account motion/force transmissibility. Several performance indices are introduced to measure the closeness to singularities. By using these indices, a uniform “metric” can be found to represent the closeness to singularities for different types of nonredundant parallel manipulators.


Author(s):  
Qimin Xu

<p>In this paper, an approach for orientation singularity analysis of parallel manipulators (PMs) is proposed by introducing several performance indices referred to the<br />unique form of screw based Jacobian in the velocity transmission as well as force transmission. Here, to prove the effectiveness of the approach, an example of 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) prismatic-revolute-spherical (PRS) parallel manipulator (PM) is first presented to illustrate the fact that the distributions of singularity boundary of the proposed approach is consistence with the result referred to nonredunant PMs by Liu et al. [22]. Further, the proposed approach is an appropriate one not only for nonredunant PMs, but also for a class of redunant PMs by providing another example of the redunant variable geometry truss (VGT) PM, since the performance index of orientation singularity for the manipulator can be<br />created only by determining the unique form of screw based Jacobian.</p>


Robotica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (08) ◽  
pp. 1686-1703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Reza Chalak Qazani ◽  
Siamak Pedrammehr ◽  
Arash Rahmani ◽  
Behzad Danaei ◽  
Mir Mohammad Ettefagh ◽  
...  

SUMMARYParallel mechanisms possess several advantages such as the possibilities for high acceleration and high accuracy positioning of the end effector. However, most of the proposed parallel manipulators suffer from a limited workspace. In this paper, a novel 6-DOF parallel manipulator with coaxial actuated arms is introduced. Since parallel mechanisms have more workspace limitations compared to that of serial mechanisms, determination of the workspace in parallel manipulators is of the utmost importance. For finding position, angular velocity, and acceleration, in this paper, inverse and forward kinematics of the mechanism are studied and after presenting the workspace limitations, workspace analysis of the hexarot manipulator is performed by using MATLAB software. Next, using the obtained cloud of points from simulation, the overall borders of the workspace are illustrated. Finally, it is shown that this manipulator has the important benefits of combining a large positional workspace in relation to its footprint with a sizable range of platform rotations.


Robotica ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 2610-2628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davood Naderi ◽  
Mehdi Tale-Masouleh ◽  
Payam Varshovi-Jaghargh

SUMMARYIn this paper, the forward kinematic analysis of 3-degree-of-freedom planar parallel robots with identical limb structures is presented. The proposed algorithm is based on Study's kinematic mapping (E. Study, “von den Bewegungen und Umlegungen,” Math. Ann.39, 441–565 (1891)), resultant method, and the Gröbner basis in seven-dimensional kinematic space. The obtained solution in seven-dimensional kinematic space of the forward kinematic problem is mapped into three-dimensional Euclidean space. An alternative solution of the forward kinematic problem is obtained using resultant method in three-dimensional Euclidean space, and the result is compared with the obtained mapping result from seven-dimensional kinematic space. Both approaches lead to the same maximum number of solutions: 2, 6, 6, 6, 2, 2, 2, 6, 2, and 2 for the forward kinematic problem of planar parallel robots; 3-RPR, 3-RPR, 3-RRR, 3-RRR, 3-RRP, 3-RPP, 3-RPP, 3-PRR, 3-PRR, and 3-PRP, respectively.


Author(s):  
S Kemal Ider

In planar parallel robots, limitations occur in the functional workspace because of interference of the legs with each other and because of drive singularities where the actuators lose control of the moving platform and the actuator forces grow without bounds. A 2-RPR (revolute, prismatic, revolute joints) planar parallel manipulator with two legs that minimizes the interference of the mechanical components is considered. Avoidance of the drive singularities is in general not desirable since it reduces the functional workspace. An inverse dynamics algorithm with singularity robustness is formulated allowing full utilization of the workspace. It is shown that if the trajectory is planned to satisfy certain conditions related to the consistency of the dynamic equations, the manipulator can pass through the drive singularities while the actuator forces remain stable. Furthermore, for finding the actuator forces in the vicinity of the singular positions a full rank modification of the dynamic equations is developed. A deployment motion is analysed to illustrate the proposed approach.


Robotica ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 791-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavio Firmani ◽  
Alp Zibil ◽  
Scott B. Nokleby ◽  
Ron P. Podhorodeski

SUMMARYThis paper is organized in two parts. In Part I, the wrench polytope concept is presented and wrench performance indices are introduced for planar parallel manipulators (PPMs). In Part II, the concept of wrench capabilities is extended to redundant manipulators and the wrench workspace of different PPMs is analyzed. The end-effector of a PPM is subject to the interaction of forces and moments. Wrench capabilities represent the maximum forces and moments that can be applied or sustained by the manipulator. The wrench capabilities of PPMs are determined by a linear mapping of the actuator output capabilities from the joint space to the task space. The analysis is based upon properly adjusting the actuator outputs to their extreme capabilities. The linear mapping results in a wrench polytope. It is shown that for non-redundant PPMs, one actuator output capability constrains the maximum wrench that can be applied (or sustained) with a plane in the wrench space yielding a facet of the polytope. Herein, the determination of wrench performance indices is presented without the expensive task of generating polytopes. Six study cases are presented and performance indices are derived for each study case.


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