Design, optimization, and prototyping of a three translational degree of freedom parallel robot

Abstract

This thesis presents an evolutionarily design change for the Delta parallel robot. The proposed design change increases the useful workspace of the robot and aids in permanently avoiding singularities in the workspace. This is accomplished by means of a new intermediate link parallel to the 4 bar linkage. The addition of the new link simultaneously increases the total workspace volume and decreases the dexterity without significantly affecting the stiffness. The design is analyzed and the inverse kinematics, Jacobian, sti ness and dexterity relations are formulated. The relations are then converted into a form that is usable by MATLAB to calculate di erent workspaces that illustrate the advantages of the new design. Subsequently, an optimization problem is formulated that aims to take advantage of the new attributes to create a balanced robot that further illustrates the benefits of the new design. The results are clearly illustrated by comparing plotted sections of workspace from both the optimized and unoptimized workspace. Lastly, the design is developed into a 3D model which is then fabricated into a working prototype to test and verify functionality.