Optimal design of a linkage–cam mechanism-based redundantly actuated parallel manipulator

Abstract

A redundantly actuated parallel manipulator (RAPM) with mixed translational and rotational degrees of freedom (DOFs) is challenged for its dimensionally homogeneous Jacobian modeling and optimal design of architecture. In this paper, a means to achieve redundant actuation by adding kinematic constraints is introduced, which reduces the DOFs of the end-effector (EE). A generic dimensionally homogeneous Jacobian is developed for this type of RAPMs, which maps the generalized velocities of three points on the EE to the joint velocities. A new optimization algorithm derived from this dimensionally homogeneous Jacobian is proposed for the optimal design of this type of RAPMs. As an example, this paper presents a spatial RAPM involving linkages and cam mechanisms. This RAPM has 4 DOFs and 6 translational actuations. The linkage lengths and the position of the universal joints of the RAPM are optimized based on the dimensionally homogeneous Jacobian.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

redundant actuation / parallel manipulator / linkage–cam mechanism / Jacobian / optimal design

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51705063 and 51575078) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BK20190368).

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2021 Higher Education Press