Synthesis and Analysis of Soft Parallel Robots Comprised of Active Constraints

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan B. Hopkins ◽  
Jordan Rivera ◽  
Charles Kim ◽  
Girish Krishnan

In this paper, we introduce a new type of spatial parallel robot that is comprised of soft inflatable constraints called trichamber actuators (TCAs). We extend the principles of the freedom and constraint topologies (FACT) synthesis approach to enable the synthesis and analysis of this new type of soft robot. The concepts of passive and active freedom spaces are introduced and applied to the design of general parallel systems that consist of active constraints (i.e., constraint that can be actuated to impart various loads onto the system's stage) that both drive desired motions and guide the system's desired degrees of freedom (DOFs). We provide the fabrication details of the TCA constraints introduced in this paper and experimentally determine their appropriate FACT-based constraint model. We fabricate a soft parallel robot that consists of three TCA constraints and verify and validate its FACT-predicted performance using finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental data. Other such soft robots are synthesized using FACT as case studies.

Author(s):  
Jordan Rivera ◽  
Jonathan B. Hopkins ◽  
Charles Kim

In this paper, we introduce a new type of spatial parallel robot that is comprised of soft inflatable constraints called Tri-Chamber Actuators (TCAs). We extend the principles of the Freedom and Constraint Topologies (FACT) synthesis approach to enable the synthesis and analysis of this new type of soft robot. The concepts of passive and active freedom spaces are introduced and applied to the design of general parallel systems that consist of active constraints (i.e., constraint that can be actuated to impart various loads onto the system’s stage) that both drive desired motions and guide the system’s desired degrees of freedom (DOFs). We provide the fabrication details of the TCA constraints introduced in this paper and experimentally validate their FACT-predicted kinematics. Examples are provided as case studies.


2010 ◽  
Vol 166-167 ◽  
pp. 457-462
Author(s):  
Dan Verdes ◽  
Radu Balan ◽  
Máthé Koppány

Parallel robots find many applications in human-systems interaction, medical robots, rehabilitation, exoskeletons, to name a few. These applications are characterized by many imperatives, with robust precision and dynamic workspace computation as the two ultimate ones. This paper presents kinematic analysis, workspace, design and control to 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) parallel robots. Parallel robots have received considerable attention from both researchers and manufacturers over the past years because of their potential for high stiffness, low inertia and high speed capability. Therefore, the 3 DOF translation parallel robots provide high potential and good prospects for their practical implementation in human-systems interaction.


Author(s):  
Ronen Ben-Horin ◽  
Moshe Shoham

Abstract The construction of a new type of a six-degrees-of-freedom parallel robot is presented in this paper. Coordinated motion of three planar motors, connected to three fixed-length links, produces a six-degrees-of-freedom motion of an output link. Its extremely simple design along with much larger work volume make this high performance-to-simplicity ratio robot very attractive.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanqiang Xi ◽  
Bai Chen ◽  
Yaoyao Wang ◽  
Feng Ju

For the synthesis of the required type about the multi-robot coordination system in industrial transportation, this paper presents a novel method in which each robot in the coordinated task is viewed as a branched chain of an equivalent parallel robot (EPR), which is converted into a problem for type synthesis of parallel robots. A theoretic method is proposed to represent the kinematic features of the mechanism’s end-effector and its position and pose in the world coordinate system. The basic concept of a robotic characteristic (C) set is given, and the corresponding algorithm is analyzed. Based on the theory of C set, the concrete steps for type synthesis of EPR are presented by analyzing the characteristics of its branched chains, and many EPR groups with end kinematic features for the C sets of the operational tasks are obtained. Then three translational (3T) operational requirements that can be extended to other degrees of freedom (DOF) are adopted, and the DOF of homogeneous and heterogeneous EPR are analyzed using screw theory. Finally the validation of the method is demonstrated by Adams, which shows that the two groups are able to complete the task.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 172988142091995
Author(s):  
Shi Baoyu ◽  
Wu Hongtao

A new type of parallel robot ROBO_003 is presented. Its mechanisms, kinematics, and virtual prototype technology are introduced. The research of degrees of freedom (DOF) is based on screw theory, a set of screw is separated as a branch, which named as constrain screw. The type of three DOF gained by counting constrain screw, the moving platform’s frame, and base platform’s frame is set, respectively, a complete kinematic research including closed-form solutions for direct kinematic problem. The 3-D model of ROBO_003 is established using SOLIDWORKS; position and orientation of motion platform can be gained using ADMAS, which is a type of virtual prototype technology. The resultant shows that the structure of ROBO_003 is reasonable, three DOF of motion platform can be operated in a reasonable range, the solutions to the direct kinematics are right, and robot ROBO_003 can be used in many industrial fields. The research of this article provides a basis for the practical application of parallel robotics ROBO_003.


Author(s):  
Muhammed R. Pac ◽  
Dan O. Popa

Legged robots are more maneuverable, and can negotiate rough terrain much better than conventional locomotion using wheels. However, since the kinematic or dynamic analysis of such robots involves closed chains, it is typically more difficult to investigate the impact of design changes, such as the number, or the design of its legs, to robot performance. Most legged robots consist of 4 legs (quadrupeds) or 6 legs (hexapods). This paper discusses the kinematic analysis of an unconventional, symmetrical 5-legged robot with 2-DOF (Degrees Of Freedom) universal joints in each leg. The analysis was carried out in order to predict the mobility of the upper body platform, and investigate the number of robot actuators needed for mobility. The product of exponentials formulation with respect to the local coordinate frames is used to describe the twists of the joints. The analysis is based on the idea that the robot body platform along with the legs can be considered instantaneously as a parallel robot manipulating the ground. Hence, the analysis can be done using the Jacobian formulation of parallel robots. Simulation results confirm the mobility analysis that the robot can have at most 3-DOF for the body and that these freedoms are coupled rotations and translations in 3D space also with a dependence on the configuration of the robot.


2013 ◽  
Vol 347-350 ◽  
pp. 661-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Meng ◽  
Zu De Zhou ◽  
Quan Liu ◽  
Qing Song Ai

Multiple Degrees of Freedom (DOF) parallel robots possess the advantages of being compact structure, great stiffness, stability and high accuracy, so such platforms have been widely used in application areas as diverse as the spacecraft motion simulators, radio telescopes, and medical rehabilitation devices. In this paper, after giving a brief review on the control strategies for parallel robot, a 6-DOF robot system for medical purposes based on simulation as well as real environment is established. In order to improve the position tracking accuracy for such objects with time-varying and nonlinear parameters, a practical fuzzy adaptive controller is designed based on the kinematics of parallel platform, where fuzzy inference units are utilized to modify the PID parameters in real-time by using the position feedback from the robot actuators. Finally, both virtual and actual experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to effectively reduce the position tracking errors compared with the traditional PID controller, and the reliability and feasibility of such parallel robotic system can also be guaranteed.


Author(s):  
Saeed Behzadipour ◽  
Robert Dekker ◽  
Amir Khajepour ◽  
Edmon Chan

The growing needs for high speed positioning devices in the automated manufacturing industry have been challenged by robotic science for more than two decades. Parallel manipulators have been widely used for this purpose due to their advantage of lower moving inertia over the conventional serial manipulators. Cable actuated parallel robots were introduced in 1980’s to reduce the moving inertia even further. In this work, a new cable-based parallel robot is introduced. For this robot, the cables are used not only to actuate the end-effector but also to apply the necessary kinematic constraints to provide three pure translational degrees of freedom. In order to maintain tension in the cables, a passive air cylinder is used to push the end-effector against the stationary platform. In addition to low moving inertia, the new design benefits from simplicity and low manufacturing cost by eliminating joints from the robot’s mechanism. The design procedure and the results of experiments will be discussed in the following.


2019 ◽  
pp. 256-260
Author(s):  
L F Hillesheim ◽  
V N S Ventura ◽  
Daniel A S Ponce

Physiotherapy is a science which acts in the area of biomechanical and functional disorder, establishing diagnostics and supporting the locomotor system rehabilitation. These procedures require assistance of a physiotherapist, however they are insufficient for the country´s demand. Usually such procedures use devices with the newest technology, in order to enable recovery and avoid possible permanent trauma. In order to face this reality, we have committed to develop an air muscle, based on the McKibben´s model, with the purpose of proposing a new low-cost parallel robot to physiotherapy (Soft Robot) for the rehabilitation of patients with ankle injuries. This robot is responsible for moving three degrees of freedom platform, therefore acting directly in the rehabilitation of the patient through the execution of soft and accurate therapeutic movements that stimulate the recovery of operated tissues. First, it is build an air muscle that will be used as actuator in parallel platform. Then is raised a curve of behavior to shift versus pressure on proposed muscle. In conjunction with these data to actuator behavior is modelled and simulated the new parallel robot. This air muscle was build using a latex tube covered by a braided fibred mesh and fuelled by a pneumatic tire valve, therefore obtaining a nonlinear behavior of contraction to each pressure value admitted on muscle. By means of this prototype building purpose, we obtained satisfactory results, such as a contraction of 25% of the nominal length for pressures up to six bars. Considering such a result and the low cost involved building actuator as this one, the advantage in using this model is perceptible.


Robotics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Schappler ◽  
Svenja Tappe ◽  
Tobias Ortmaier

Industrial manipulators and parallel robots are often used for tasks, such as drilling or milling, that require three translational, but only two rotational degrees of freedom (“3T2R”). While kinematic models for specific mechanisms for these tasks exist, a general kinematic model for parallel robots is still missing. This paper presents the definition of the rotational component of kinematic constraints equations for parallel robots based on two reciprocal sets of Euler angles for the end-effector orientation and the orientation residual. The method allows completely removing the redundant coordinate in 3T2R tasks and to solve the inverse kinematics for general serial and parallel robots with the gradient descent algorithm. The functional redundancy of robots with full mobility is exploited using nullspace projection.


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