A Geometric Algorithm for the Computation of the Constant-Orientation Workspace of 6-RUS Parallel Manipulators

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents a geometric algorithm for the computation of the constant-orientation workspace of 6-RUS parallel manipulators. While the basic philosophy of this algorithm is not new, the proposed computational process involving surface intersections is original and is the major contribution of the paper. Particularly, an analytic description of the points that constitute the edges of the constant-orientation workspace is presented. The latter is done through a new algorithm for the computation of the intersection points between a general torus and a circle.