A general method to determine compatible orientation workspaces for different types of 6-DOF parallel manipulators

Abstract This paper presents a general method to develop a compatible orientation workspace for a 6-DOF parallel manipulator. The workspace boundary for any type of manipulator can be determined using the proposed method, if the equations for inverse kinematics can be developed. The workspace boundary can be developed by solving the equations, but the results show that a search technique that uses the bisection method is more efficient, if the equations are 4th or higher degree polynomials. In general, a workspace can be developed in less than 5 min, using a personal computer. The effect of the size of the platform, the passive joint limits, the link interactions and singularity on the shape and size of a workspace are also determined.

[1]  C. Gosselin.  Determination of the Workspace of 6-DOF Parallel Manipulators , 1990 .

[2]  Jean-Pierre Merlet.  Determination of 6D Workspaces of Gough-Type Parallel Manipulator and Comparison between Different Geometries , 1999, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[3]  Hui Zhou,et al.  Orientation-Singularity and Nonsingular Orientation-Workspace Analysis of the Semi-Regular Stewart–Gough Platform Manipulator , 2010, Adv. Robotics.

[4]  Jeha Ryu,et al.  A geometrical method for computing the constant-orientation workspace of 6-PRRS parallel manipulators , 2001 .

[5]  Clément Gosselin,et al.  Evaluation and Representation of the Theoretical Orientation Workspace of the Gough–Stewart Platform , 2009 .

[6]  Jean-Pierre Merlet,et al.  Designing a Parallel Manipulator for a Specific Workspace , 1997, Int. J. Robotics Res..

[7]  Jean-Pierre Merlet,et al.  Determination of the orientation workspace of parallel manipulators , 1995, J. Intell. Robotic Syst..

[8]  Wenjia Chen,et al.  The orientation workspace of a 3-PRS parallel manipulator , 2011, 2011 International Conference on Consumer Electronics, Communications and Networks (CECNet).

[9]  Y. L. Yao,et al.  Workspace Analysis of a Six-Degrees of Freedom, Three-Prismatic- Prismatic-Spheric-Revolute Parallel Manipulator , 2000 .

[10]  Clément Gosselin,et al.  Maximal Singularity-Free Total Orientation Workspace of the Gough–Stewart Platform , 2009 .

[11]  Steven C. Chapra,et al.  Numerical Methods for Engineers , 1986 .

[12]  Jan A. Snyman,et al.  Methodologies for the optimal design of parallel manipulators , 2004 .

[13]  Hui Zhou,et al.  Orientation-workspace analysis of a special class of the Stewart-Gough parallel manipulators , 2009, 2009 Chinese Control and Decision Conference.

[14]  F. A. Adkins,et al.  Working Capability Analysis of Stewart Platforms , 1996 .

[15]  K. Y. Tsai,et al.  Determining the compatible orientation workspace of Stewart–Gough parallel manipulators , 2006 .

[16]  Jeha Ryu,et al.  Orientation workspace analysis of 6-DOF parallel manipulators , 1999 .

[17]  Lluís Ros,et al.  A unified method for computing position and orientation workspaces of general Stewart platforms , 2011 .

[18]  Jian Wang,et al.  Workspace evaluation of Stewart platforms , 1994, Adv. Robotics.

[19]  C. Gosselin,et al.  Determination of the maximal singularity-free orientation workspace for the Gough–Stewart platform , 2009 .

[20]  Zhang Wen-xiang.  Orientation Workspace Analysis of Stewart Platform Based on Unit Quaternion , 2008 .

[21]  K. Y. Tsai,et al.  Six-DOF parallel manipulators with maximal singularity-free joint space or workspace , 2014, Robotica.