Structural synthesis of parallel robots. Part 1: Methodology (Q932106)

The book presents the synthesis methodology and solutions for parallel manipulators. It is organized in ten chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the main concepts, definitions and components of mechanical robotic systems. Chapter 2 reviews the contributions to mobility calculation systematized in the so-called Chebychev-Grübler-Kutzbach mobility formulae. New formulae for mobility, connectivity, redundancy and overconstraints are derived via an original approach based on the theory of linear transformations. These formulae are applied in Chapter 3 for the structural analysis for parallel robots with simple and complex limbs. Chapter 4 gives the main models and performance indices used for parallel robots. Structural parameters introduced in the second chapter are integrated in the structural synthesis founded on the evolutionary morphology presented in Chapter 5. Various solutions for simple and complex limbs with two to six degrees of connectivity are systematically generated by the structural synthesis in Chapters 6--10. The kinematic chains presented there are useful as innovative solutions for limbs in parallel serial and hybrid robots. The book gives the definitions of many terms in the area of mechanisms and robotics using the IFToMM terminology. The presented material summarizes research activities and some recent scientific advances in the structural synthesis of parallel robots. Thus this book can be considered as a very useful learning tool for scientists and engineers from academia and industry.