Analysis and simulation of a new Cartesian cable-suspended robot

Abstract

In this article, a manipulator is presented belonging to the class of cable-suspended robots, for which the cable length variations are related by suitable functions in order to achieve specific kinematic characteristics. In particular, in this article, a Cartesian cable-suspended robot is proposed that has eight cables to have three degrees of freedom (DOF) in Cartesian space. The eight cables of the robot are arranged in parallel by pairs with identical length, with the aim of constraining the moving platform to keep a constant orientation with respect to the fixed frame. The robot can be used for selective compliant assembly robot arm (SCARA) motions (when an additional revolute actuated joint is placed on the moving platform) for a variety of applications in which a large workspace is required. In this article, a geometry analysis of the robot is presented together with a numerical simulation of the kinetostatics and dynamics to investigate the robot's performances in several operative conditions. Furthermore, a characterization of the position workspace regions is reported for this cable-suspended robot.