On the optimum design of Stewart platform type parallel manipulators

Abstract

SummaryThis paper studies the static rigidity behaviour of a parallel manipulator with legs modelled as elastic members under axial loading. Structurally, a parallel module is more rigid compared to a serial module and is expected to take heavier payloads. Therefore, a guidance for design of such parallel manipulators is needed which leads to maximum rigidity over the workspace. In the present work, the authors propose the concept of the flexibility ellipsoid for a parallel system. Various scalar measures of rigidity are formulated on the basis of the proposed ellipsoid. An algorithm, involving multiple objective nonlinear programming technique, is implemented to decide upon some important design parameters of a generalised six degrees of freedom Stewart platform type parallel manipulator. It is observed that irrespective of the other parameters, parallel manipulators with the legs pairwise joined at the top platform possess the highest rigidity. Moreover, there exists certain kinematic dimensions for which the designed parallel system is completely free from all sorts of singularity.