Stiffness analysis of a class of parallel mechanisms for micro-positioning applications

Micro-positioning devices are increasingly being made of parallel manipulators due to their superior stiffness characteristics. This paper explores a variant of the classical six degrees-of-freedom Stewart-Gough platforms for use in micro-positioning applications. Stiffness values of both these mechanisms are computed and compared for relative gain in theoretical stiffness achieved. An over-sized version of the platform was built for educational purposes.