scholarly journals Increasing Energy Efficiency of High-Speed Parallel Robots by Using Variable Stiffness Springs and Optimal Motion Generation

Author(s):  
Rafael Balderas Hill ◽  
Sébastien Briot ◽  
Abdelhamid Chriette ◽  
Philippe Martinet

The classical approach to decrease the energy consumption of high-speed robots is by lowering the moving elements mass in order to have a lightweight structure. Even if this allows reducing the energy consumed, the lightweight architecture affects the robot stiffness, worsening the accuracy of the mechanism. Recently, variable stiffness actuators (VSAs) have been used in order to reduce the energy consumption of high-speed pick-and-place robots. The idea is to smartly tune online the stiffness of VSA springs so that the robot is put in near a resonance mode, thus considerably decreasing the energy consumption during fast pseudo-periodic pick-and-place motions. However, the serial configuration of springs and motors in the VSA leads to uncontrolled robot deflections at high-speeds and, thus, to a poor positioning accuracy of its end-effector. In order to avoid these drawbacks and to increase the energy efficiency while ensuring the accuracy, this paper proposes the use of parallel arrangement of variable stiffness springs (VSS) and motors, combined with an energy-based optimal trajectory planner. The VSS are used as energy storage for carrying out the reduction of the energy consumption and their parallel configuration with the motors ensure the load balancing at high-speed without losing the accuracy of the robot. Simulations of the suggested approach on a five-bar mechanism are performed and show the increase on energy efficiency.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Rafael Balderas Hill ◽  
Sebastien Briot ◽  
Abdelhamid Chriette ◽  
Philippe Martinet

Abstract Typically, for pick-and-place robots operating at high speeds, an enormous amount of energy is lost during the robot braking phase. This is due to the fact that, during such operational phase, most of the energy is dissipated as heat on the braking resistances of the motor drivers. In order to increase the energy-efficiency during the high-speed pick-and-place cycles, this paper investigates the use of variable stiffness springs (VSS) in parallel configuration with the motors. These springs store the energy during the braking phase, instead of dissipating it. The energy is then released to actuate the robot in a next displacement phase. This design approach is combined with a motion generator which seeks to optimize trajectories for input torques reduction (and thus of energy consumption), through solving a boundary value problem (BVP) based on the robot dynamics. Experimental results of the suggested approach on a five-bar mechanism show the drastic reduction of input torques, and therefore of energetic losses.


2014 ◽  
Vol 592-594 ◽  
pp. 2134-2138
Author(s):  
S.K. Naveen ◽  
Kumaar Devaraj Rajesh ◽  
P. Pal Pandian

Flexibility plays a key role in robot based applications, where the ability to perform complex tasks in semi structured or even unstructured environments is strategic.Most industrial robot operates inside a security fence which separates them from human workers, but not all. Flexibility, lightness in relation to the mass to be displaced and energy efficiency are acquiring increasing significance in automation. We can achieve higher performance in robots by optimizing the parameters like high-speed operation, lower energy consumption, lighter weight and safer operation. In this paper a pick and place robot is designed and developed to achieve effective automation with higher safety and with greater ease. The main objectives of designing this flexible manipulator are to reduce its mass and to minimize its vibrations in the end-effector, which enhances good accuracy in positioning.This can be achieved by bringing down the number of working components and jointswhich reduce various losses. The greater mass can be transferred from one place to another place with relatively lesser mass of flexible three link manipulator. The various problems were encountered and rectified during the design and fabrication of flexible three link manipulator for pick and place application.


Author(s):  
Shaoping Bai ◽  
Lasse Køgs Andersen ◽  
Carsten Rebbe Mølgaard

This work deals with the design of parallel robots for the generation of pick-and-place operation, or Schönflies motion. The aim is to develop a robot with workspace optimized for fast pick-and-place operations, namely, a robot with a superellipsoidal reachable volume, which suits best for the pick-and-place operations on conveyers, where robots’ working areas are nearly rectangular. In this paper, the kinematics and stiffness modeling of the new robot are presented. A method of stiffness modeling by means of Castigliano’s Theorem is developed. Using the new method, the stiffness of the robot is analyzed. The results are compared with FEA simulation, which shows a good agreement between the results. The method is finally applied to the engineering design of the new robot for enhanced static and dynamic performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Martin-Parra ◽  
David Rodriguez-Rosa ◽  
Sergio Juarez-Perez ◽  
Guillermo Rubio-Gomez ◽  
Antonio Gonzalez-Rodriguez ◽  
...  

Abstract This article presents a new assembling for 2 degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) parallel robots for executing rapid pick-and-place operations with low energy consumption. A conventional design of 2-DOF parallel robots is based on five-bar mechanisms. Collisions between links are highly possible, restricting the end-effector workspace and/or increasing the trajectory time to avoid collisions. In this article, an alternative assembling for preventing collisions is presented. This novel assembling allows exploring the difference between the four five-bar mechanism configurations for the same position of the end-effector. Some of these configurations yield to lower time and/or lower energy consumption for the same motorization. First, a dynamic model of the robot has been developed using matlab® and simulink® and validated by comparison with the results obtained by adams® software. A robust cascade PD regulator for controlling joint coordinates has been tuned providing a high accurate end-effector positioning. Finally, simulation results of four configurations are presented for executing controlled maneuvers. The obtained results demonstrate that the conventional configuration is the worst one in terms of trajectory time or energy consumption and, conversely, the best one corresponds to an uncommonly used configuration. A workspace map where all configurations provide faster maneuvers has been obtained in terms of Jacobian matrix and mechanism elbows distance. The results presented here allow designing a rapid manipulator for pick-and-place operations.


Author(s):  
Haihong Li ◽  
Zhiyong Yang

The dynamic modeling and analysis of a 2-DOF translational parallel robot for high-speed pick-and-place operation was presented. Considering the flexibility of all links, the governing equation of motion of a flexible link is formulated in the floating frame of reference using Euler-Lagrange method. A kineto-elasto dynamic model of the system is achieved, ready for modal analysis. Simulation in FEM software showed the similar modes with above computational result in typical location and rotation. The dynamic experiment presented the dominant modes and proved the theoretical analysis and simulation. The Diamond robot used in Lithium-ion battery sorting was taken as an example to demonstrate how to finish above studies. The result shows that the mechanism has good dynamic performance. The work is available for all parallel robots with flexible links.


Author(s):  
Jinwoo Jung ◽  
Jinlong Piao ◽  
Eunpyo Choi ◽  
Jong-Oh Park ◽  
Chang-Sei Kim

Abstract A cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) consists of an end-effector, flexible lightweight cables, pulleys, winches, and a rigid base frame. As opposed to the rigid links of the traditional serial robots and parallel robots, the flexible lightweight cables allow the CDPR to easily achieve the high speed, heavy payload manipulation, and scalable workspace. Especially, the conventional high-speed pick and place operation can be realized due to the lightweight of its flexible cables. However, the flexibility of the lightweight cables can introduce a considerable vibration problem to the high speed cable robot system. One of main causes can be a cable tension difference between initial pre-tension and winding tension around a drum of the winch-motor actuator. To effectively investigate the effect of the tension around the drum on the high speed manipulation of the cable robot system, the spatial eight-cable high speed cable robot was reduced to the horizontal two cable system. The reduction of the number of the cable enables us to minimize the influences from the other factors such as the cable sagging and the geometric errors. A series of experiments was conducted using the combinations of the low and high initial pre-tensions and low and high tensions around the drum. The experimental results clearly show that the low tension around the drum can cause the vibration problem during the high speed pick and place operation. Also, it demonstrates that securing the drum tension similar to the initial pre-tension can effectively reduce the magnitude of the vibration.


2004 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Huang ◽  
Jiangping Mei ◽  
Zhanxian Li ◽  
Xueman Zhao ◽  
Derek G. Chetwynd

By taking a 2-DOF high-speed translational parallel manipulator as an object of study, this paper presents an approach that enables the servomotor parameters of parallel robots for pick-and-place operations to be estimated in an effective manner using the singular value decomposition. These parameters include the moment of inertia, speed, torque, and power of the motor required for producing the specified velocity and acceleration of the end effector. An example is given to determine these parameters of a device for the rechargeable battery quality inspection.


2003 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Huang ◽  
Zhanxian Li ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Derek G. Chetwynd ◽  
Clement M. Gosselin

This paper deals with the conceptual design and optimal dimensional synthesis of a novel 2-DOF translational parallel robot for pick-and-place operations. In a conceptual design phase, the conditions for generating such kinds of parallel robots are investigated, leading to the invention of a 2-D version of the Delta robot. Combining this robot with a 1-DOF feed mechanism, a hybrid robot can be created which is particularly suitable for transporting objects at very high speed in a plane plus a relatively slow or step-by-step, yet long distance motion, normal to the plane. The kinematic optimality of the 2-DOF translational parallel robot is achieved by minimizing a global and comprehensive conditioning index subject to a set of appropriate constraints. The application of this robot to the development of a device for quality inspection of rechargeable batteries is used to demonstrate its applicability.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1418
Author(s):  
Pedram Asef ◽  
Ramon Bargallo ◽  
Andrew Lapthorn ◽  
Davide Tavernini ◽  
Lingyun Shao ◽  
...  

This study investigates the influence of the buried magnet arrangement on the efficiency and drivability performance provided by an on-board interior permanent magnet synchronous machine for a four-wheel-drive electric car with two single-speed on-board powertrains. The relevant motor characteristics, including flux-linkage, inductance, electromagnetic torque, iron loss, total loss, and efficiency, are analyzed for a set of six permanent magnet configurations suitable for the specific machine, which is controlled through maximum-torque-per-ampere and maximum-torque-per-voltage strategies. Moreover, the impact of each magnet arrangement is analyzed in connection with the energy consumption along four driving cycles, as well as the longitudinal acceleration and gradeability performance of the considered vehicle. The simulation results identify the most promising rotor solutions, and show that: (i) the appropriate selection of the rotor configuration is especially important for the driving cycles with substantial high-speed sections; (ii) the magnet arrangement has a major impact on the maximum motor torque below the base speed, and thus on the longitudinal acceleration and gradeability performance; and (iii) the configurations that excel in energy efficiency are among the worst in terms of drivability, and vice versa, i.e., at the vehicle level, the rotor arrangement selection is a trade-off between energy efficiency and longitudinal vehicle dynamics.


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