An overview of pruning and harvesting manipulators

Purpose The motivation for robotics research in the agricultural field has sparked in consequence of the increasing world population and decreasing agricultural labor availability. This paper aims to analyze the state of the art of pruning and harvesting manipulators used in agriculture. Design/methodology/approach A research was performed on papers that corresponded to specific keywords. Ten papers were selected based on a set of attributes that made them adequate for review. Findings The pruning manipulators were used in two different scenarios: grapevines and apple trees. These manipulators showed that a light-controlled environment could reduce visual errors and that prismatic joints on the manipulator are advantageous to obtain a higher reach. The harvesting manipulators were used for three types of fruits: strawberries, tomatoes and apples. These manipulators revealed that different kinematic configurations are required for different kinds of end-effectors, as some of these tools only require movement in the horizontal axis and others are required to reach the target with a broad range of orientations. Originality/value This work serves to reduce the gap in the literature regarding agricultural manipulators and will support new developments of novel solutions related to agricultural robotic grasping and manipulation.

Kinematic Analysis of a Parallel Manipulator Driven by Perpendicular Linear Actuators

In this paper, a goniometer-type specimen stage with a linear actuation mechanism mounted on a rotation mechanism is introduced. The linear actuation mechanism was modeled as a spatial parallel manipulator consisting of a moving body, three linear actuators, and an anti-rotation mechanism. The three linear actuators were arranged perpendicular to each other. In the specimen stage, the linear actuators were in ball contact with the surface of a holder designed to hold a specimen. For the parallel manipulator, the ball contact was replaced with two prismatic joints and a spherical joint. The mobility of the manipulator without the anti-rotation mechanism was one degree of freedom greater than the number of actuators. Therefore, the redundant one degree-of-freedom motion was restrained using an anti-rotation mechanism with three rotation joints and two prismatic joints. The inverse and direct kinematics of the goniometer mechanism were derived and verified. In addition, the inverse Jacobian was derived, and local and global performance indices were analyzed by the terms of manipulability and isotropy. Finally, the goniometer-type specimen stage was designed by the global performance indices.

Structure Synthesis and Reconfiguration Analysis of Variable-DOF Single-Loop Mechanisms With Prismatic Joints Using Dual Quaternions

This paper deals with the structure synthesis and reconfiguration analysis of variable-DOF (variable degree-of-freedom) single-loop mechanisms with prismatic joints based on a unified tool - the dual quaternion. According to motion polynomials over dual quaternions, an algebraic method is presented to synthesize variable-DOF single-loop 5R2P mechanisms (R and P denote revolute and prismatic joints respectively), which are composed of the Bennett and RPRP mechanisms. Using this approach, variable-DOF single-loop RRPRPRR and RRPRRPR mechanisms are constructed by joints obtained from the factorization of motion polynomials. Then reconfiguration analysis of these variable-DOF single-loop mechanisms is performed in light of the kinematic mapping and the prime decomposition. The results show that the variable-DOF 5R2P mechanisms have a 1-DOF spatial 5P2P motion mode and a 2-DOF Bennett-RPRP motion mode. Furthermore, the variable-DOF 5R2P mechanisms have two transition configurations, from which the mechanisms can switch among their two motion modes.

A Redundantly Actuated Chewing Robot Based on Human Musculoskeletal Biomechanics: Differential Kinematics, Stiffness Analysis, Driving Force Optimization and Experiment

Human masticatory system exhibits optimal stiffness, energy efficiency and chewing forces needed for the food breakdown due to its unique musculoskeletal actuation redundancy. We have proposed a 6PUS-2HKP (6 prismatic-universal-spherical chains, 2 higher kinematic pairs) redundantly actuated parallel robot (RAPR) based on its musculoskeletal biomechanics. This paper studies the stiffness and optimization of driving force of the bio-inspired redundantly actuated chewing robot. To understand the effect of the point-contact HKP acting on the RAPR performance, the stiffness of the RAPR is estimated based on the derived dimensionally homogeneous Jacobian matrix. In analyzing the influence of the HKP on robot dynamics, the driving forces of six prismatic joints are optimized by adopting the pseudo-inverse optimization method. Numerical results show that the 6PUS-2HKP RAPR has better stiffness performance and more homogenous driving power than its non-redundant 6-PUS counterpart, verifying the benefits that the point-contact HKP brings to the RAPR. Experiments are carried out to measure the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) force and the occlusal force that the robot can generate. The relationship between these two forces in a typical chewing movement is studied. The simulation and experimental results reveal that the existence of TMJs in human masticatory system can provide more homogenous and more efficient chewing force transmission.

A Comprehensive Numerical Study on the Number of Identifiable Kinematic Parameters of Parallel Mechanisms

Kinematic error model plays an important role in improving the positioning accuracy of robot manipulators by kinematic calibration. The identifiability of kinematic parameters in the error model directly affects the positioning accuracy of the mechanism. And the number of identifiable kinematic parameters determines how many parameters can be accurately identified by kinematic calibration, which is one of the theoretical basis of kinematic error modeling. For serial mechanisms, a consensus has been reached that the maximum number of identifiable kinematic parameters is 4R + 2P + 6, where R and P represent the numbers of revolute and prismatic joints, respectively. Due to complex topologies of parallel mechanisms, there is still no agreement on the formula of the maximum number of identifiable parameters. In this paper, a comprehensive numerical study on the number of identifiable kinematic parameters of parallel mechanisms is conducted. The number of identifiable parameters of 3802 kinds of limbs with different types or actuation arrangements are analyzed. It can be concluded that the maximum number of identifiable kinematic parameters is Σ i = 1 n 4Ri + 2Pi + 6 − Ci − 2(PP)i/3(PPP1)i/(2Ri + 2Pi)(PPP)i, where Ci represents the number of joints whose motion cannot be measured and n denotes the number of limbs in a parallel mechanism; (PP)i, (PPP1)i, and (PPP)i represent two consecutive unmeasurable P joints, three consecutive P joints in which two of them cannot be measured, and three unmeasurable P joints, respectively.

A modified firefly algorithm for the inverse kinematics solutions of robotic manipulators

The inverse kinematics of robotic manipulators consists of finding a joint configuration to reach a desired end-effector pose. Since inverse kinematics is a complex non-linear problem with redundant solutions, sophisticated optimization techniques are often required to solve this problem; a possible solution can be found in metaheuristic algorithms. In this work, a modified version of the firefly algorithm for multimodal optimization is proposed to solve the inverse kinematics. This modified version can provide multiple joint configurations leading to the same end-effector pose, improving the classic firefly algorithm performance. Moreover, the proposed approach avoids singularities because it does not require any Jacobian matrix inversion, which is the main problem of conventional approaches. The proposed approach can be implemented in robotic manipulators composed of revolute or prismatic joints of n degrees of freedom considering joint limits constrains. Simulations with different robotic manipulators show the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach. Additionally, non-parametric statistical tests are included to show that the proposed method has a statistically significant improvement over other multimodal optimization algorithms. Finally, real-time experiments on five degrees of freedom robotic manipulator illustrate the applicability of this approach.

Mobility and singularity analyses of a symmetric multi-loop mechanism for space applications

A symmetric, double-tripod multi-loop mechanism (DTMLM), for aerospace applications, is the subject of this paper. Its mobility and singularity are analyzed, while introducing a novel tool, the cell-division method for singularity analysis, applicable to multi-loop mechanisms. The key principle of this method lies in replacing the singularity analysis of the original multi-loop mechanism with: (1) that of an equivalent simpler parallel mechanism; (2) the constraint analysis between loops; and (3) the singularity analysis of simpler kinematic subchains. Then, the mechanism is transformed into a simpler, equivalent parallel mechanism with three identical kinematic subchains. Its mobility and singularity are analyzed based on screw algebra, which leads to a key conclusion about the geometric properties of this mechanism. Results show that: (a) the DTMLM has three degrees of freedom (dof), i.e., two rotational dof around two intersecting axes lying in the middle plane of the mechanism, and one translational dof along the normal to the said plane (2R1T); and (b) the singularities of the 3-RSR parallel mechanism are avoided in the DTMLM by means of prismatic joints, singularities in the DTMLM occurring on the boundary of its workspace. Thus, the DTMLM has a 2R1T mobility everywhere within its workspace. When a set of multi-loop mechanisms of this kind are stacked as modules to assemble a multi-stage manipulator for space applications, the modules can be designed so that, under paradigm operations, all individual loops operate within their workspace, safe from singularities.

Instant Center Identification of Single-Loop Multi-DOF Planar Linkage Using Virtual Link

Instant center is an important kinematic characteristic which can be used for velocity and singularity analysis, configuration synthesis and dynamics modeling of multi-degree of freedom (multi-DOF) planar linkage. The Aronhold–Kennedy theorem is famous for locating instant centers of four-bar planar linkage, but for single-loop multi-DOF linkages, it fails. Increasing with the number of the links of single-loop multi-DOF planar linkages, the lack of link relationship makes the identification of instant center become a recognized difficulty. This paper proposes a virtual link method to identify instant centers of single-loop multi-DOF planar linkage. First, three types of instant centers are redefined and the instant center identification process graph is introduced. Then, based on coupled loop chain characteristic and definition of instant center, two criteria are presented to convert single-loop multi-DOF planar linkage into a two-loop virtual linkage by adding the virtual links. Subsequently, the unchanged instant centers are identified in the virtual linkage and used to acquire all the instant centers of original single-loop multi-DOF planar linkage. As a result, the instant centers of single-loop five-bar, six-bar planar linkage with several prismatic joints are systematically researched for the first time. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is demonstrated using loop equations. It is a graphical and straightforward method and the application is wide up to single-loop multi-DOF N-bar (N ≥ 5) planar linkage.