In this paper, a class of 3-DOF, 4-legged parallel manipulators are enumerated. The general architecture of such manipulators consists of a moving platform, a fixed base, and four supporting legs that meet the fixed base at four distinct points and the moving platform at four distinct points. One of the four legs is passive whereas each of the remaining three legs is driven by a linear actuator. To gain a better understanding of the mechanisms, a methodology for analyzing the kinematics of such manipulators is presented. The Tricept manipulator is used as an example to illustrate the methodology.
1.
Giddings and Lewis, 1995, Giddings and Lewis Automation Technology, Fond du Lac, WI.
2.
Aronson, 1996, “A Bright Horizon for Machine Tool Technology,” Manuf. Eng., 57–70.
3.
Shibukawa
, T.
, Toyama
, T.
, and Hattori
, K.
, 1997
, “Parallel Mechanism Based Milling Machine
,” Journal of Japan Society of Precision Engineering
, 63
(12
), pp. 1671
–1675
.4.
Stewart
, D.
, 1965
, “A Platform with Six Degrees of Freedom
,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng.
, 180
, pp. 371
–386
.5.
Gough, V. E., and Whitehall, S. G., 1962, “Universal Tyre Test Machine,” Proceedings of the 9th International Tech. Congress, F.I.S.I.T.A., p. 177 (Institution of Mechanical Engineers).
6.
Clavel, R., 1988, “A Fast Robot with Parallel Geometry,” 18th International Symposium on Industrial Robots, Sydney, Australia, pp. 91–100.
7.
Tsai, L. W., 1997, “Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Mechanisms for Machine Tools and the Like,” U.S. Patent, No. 5,656,905.
8.
Lee, K., and Shah, D. K., 1987, “Kinematic Analysis of a Three Degrees of Freedom In-Parallel Actuated Manipulator,” Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Raleigh, NC, Vol. 1, pp. 345–350.
9.
Tsai, L. W., 1996, “Kinematics of a Three-DOF Platform with Three Extensible Limbs,” Recent Advances in Robot Kinematics, J. Lenarcic and V. Parenti-Castelli, eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 401–410.
10.
Herve´, J. M., 1995, “Design of Parallel Manipulators Via the Displacement Group,” 9th World Congress on the Theory of Machines and Mechanisms, Milan, Italy, August 30–September 2, pp. 2079–2082.
11.
Tsai, L. W., 1999, “The Enumeration of a Class of Three-DOF Parallel Manipulators,” 10th World Congress on the Theory of Machine and Mechanisms, Olulu, Finland, June 20–24, 3, pp. 1121–1126.
12.
Siciliano
, B.
, 1999
, “The Tricept Robot: Inverse Kinematics, Manipulability Analysis and Closed-Loop Direct Kinematics Algorithm
,” Robotica
, 17
, pp. 437
–445
.13.
Fattah, A., and Oghbaei, M., 2000, “Singular Configuration and Workspace of a Parallel Manipulator with New Architecture,” Proceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Baltimore, MD, Sept. 10–13, DETC2000/MECH-14100.
14.
Fattah
, A.
, and Kasaei
, G.
, 2000
, “Kinematics and Dynamics of a Parallel Manipulator with a New Architecture
,” Robotica
, 18
, pp. 535
–543
.15.
Tsai
, L. W.
, and Joshi
, S. A.
, 2002
, “Kinematic Analysis of 3 DOF Position Mechanisms for Use in Hybrid Kinematic Machines
,” ASME J. Mech. Des.
, 124
, No. 2, June(in print)
No. 2, June(in print)
.16.
Gosselin
, C.
, and Angeles
, J.
, 1989
, “The Optimum Kinematic Design of a Spherical Three-Degree-of-Freedom Parallel Manipulator
,” ASME J. Mech. Des.
, 111
, pp. 437
–445
.17.
Gosselin, C., and Hamel, J., 1994, “The Agile Eye: A High-Performance Three-Degree-of-Freedom Camera-Orienting Device,” Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, San Diego, CA, 8–13 May, pp. 781–786.
18.
Tsai, L. W., 2000, Mechanism Design: Enumeration of Kinematic Structures According to Function, ISBN 0-8493-0901-8, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
19.
Tsai, L. W., 1999, Robot Analysis: The Mechanics of Serial and Parallel Manipulators, John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y.
20.
Raghavan
, M.
, 1993
, “The Stewart Platform of General Geometry has 40 Configurations
,” ASME J. Mech. Des.
, 115
, pp. 277
–282
.21.
Zhang
, C.
, and Song
, S. M.
, 1994
, “Forward Position Analysis of Nearly General Stewart Platforms
,” ASME J. Mech. Des.
, 116
, pp. 54
–60
.22.
Raghavan
, M.
, and Roth
, B.
, 1995
, “Solving Polynomial Systems for the Kinematic Analysis and Synthesis of Mechanisms and Robot Manipulators
,” ASME J. Mech. Des.
, 117
, pp. 71
–79
.Copyright © 2003
by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
