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ICCAIS 2013: Main Track ICCAIS 2013

A Method for Optimal Kinematic Design of


Five-bar Planar Parallel Manipulators
Tien Dung Le, Hee-Jun Kang and Quang Vinh Doan

Abstract In this paper, an optimal kinematic design method analysis and design. However, since the workspace used in
for symmetrical five-bar planar parallel manipulators is the analysis is theoretical, the result cannot be completely
presented. The proposed design method is implemented in two applied to a practical design. Tian Huang [7] proposed a
steps. First, an optimal configuration is achieved, resulting in a hybrid method for the optimum kinematic design of 2 DOF
set of closed-form parametric relationships. Second, a searching
algorithm is proposed for finding the link lengths of the
parallel manipulators which was implemented in two steps to
manipulator to maximize usable workspace. In this usable optimize the mechanism with respect to the local and global
workspace there is no singularity configuration, and also a good conditioning indices. In [8], an approach of switching
dexterity is satisfied. A design example is included to illustrate working modes in the context of the development of a 2
the effectiveness of the proposed method. DOF planar parallel robot with revolute actuators was
Keywords- Optimal kinematic design, Parallel robotic proposed for optimization of workspace. The disadvantage
manipulator, Five-bar manipulator, Singularity, Workspace.
of this method is that it is related to the control strategy of
robot, so it is still complicated in practice. In [9], some
I. INTRODUCTION
applied performance indices such as the global condition

P arallel manipulators have advantages like high accuracy,


high stiffness, high payload capability, low moving
inertia, and so on. However, the main drawbacks of parallel
index, the global velocity index, the global payload index,
and the global stiffness index were defined and investigated
for planar 5R symmetrical parallel mechanisms. The
manipulator are their relatively small workspace and many corresponding atlases were also graphically represented in
singular configurations in the workspace. In addition, the the established design space. However, a design method was
performance of parallel manipulators is strong dependent on not reported in this paper. On the other hand, an optimum
their geometric parameters. For these reasons, the optimum design method of the 5R symmetrical parallel manipulator
kinematic design of the parallel manipulators is much with a surrounded workspace was proposed in [10]. In
complex and the adequacy and effectiveness of the design addition, an optimal design method to determine the
method become more critical. geometric parameters of a PRRRP parallel mechanism was
Five-bar planar parallel manipulator is a typical parallel presented in [11]. And in [12], a parametric variations
mechanism with 2 degrees of freedom (DOF) [1, 2]. It method and a simplex direct method were used to find the
consists of two active joints and three passive joints. The optimal solution of kinematic design of planar parallel
five-bar planar parallel manipulator with symmetric structure manipulators. However, the above methods seem slow and
which is also called 5R symmetrical mechanism [3-5] use a lot of memory of computer. In [13], a unified
attracted the most researchers in the field. The optimal formulation for optimal design of parallel manipulators was
design of this kind of parallel manipulator has interested proposed. The optimal design problem was formulated to
many researchers. In [6], a geometric model of the solution maximize the volume of regular-shape workspace, while
space was used to obtain analytical relationships between the subjected to dexterity constraints. However, in this method,
link lengths of 2-DOF planar parallel manipulator and the effective regular workspace which is optimized may
performance criteria based on the global conditioning and contains the singularity configuration of the parallel
global velocity indices. The global behavior of the 2-DOF manipulators. In addition, this method just controls the step-
planar parallel manipulator was described and useful for length and does not control the direction of searching, so it
takes much time to handle the constraints and search the
optimal solution. And the algorithm is still complicated and
Manuscript received June 29, 2013. This work was supported by Korean
Ministry of Knowledge Economy under Human Resources Development lacking efficiency. The convergence can be slow and does
Program for Convergence Robot Specialists, and in part by The University not guarantee to get the global optimal solution.
of Danang. This paper presents an optimal kinematic design method
Tien Dung Le (corresponding author) with the Department of Electrical
Engineering, Danang University of Technology, Danang, Vietnam. Phone: for symmetrical five-bar parallel manipulators which
+84-912483535; e-mail: ltdung@dut.udn.vn. enhance the method in [13]. There are two steps for
Hee-Jun Kang with the School of Electrical Engineering, University of implementation of the proposed design method. An optimal
Ulsan, Korea. Email: hjkang@ulsan.ac.kr.
Quang Vinh Doan with the Department of Electrical Engineering, The
configuration is achieved in the first step, resulting in a set of
University of Danang, Danang, Vietnam. Email: dqvinh@ac.udn.vn. closed-form parametric relationships. In the second step, a

978-1-4673-0813-7/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE 7


ICCAIS 2013: Main Track ICCAIS 2013

searching algorithm is proposed for finding the link lengths p2 depending on a1 and a2 as follows.
of robot to maximize usable workspace. There is no We assign:
singularity configuration in this usable workspace, and also a m = 2l0 + l21 (cos a 2 cos a1 ) (5)
good dexterity is satisfied.
n = l1 sin a1 sina 2 (6)
The rest of paper is organized as follows. In section 2,
the kinematic equations of a five-bar planar parallel We compute:
manipulator with symmetrical structure are presented. The m2 + n2
1 = 3 = acos (7)
proposed optimal kinematic design method is described in 2l2

section 3. In section 4, a design example is given. Finally, a
conclusion is reached in section 5. n (8)
2 = atan
m
II. KINEMATIC EQUATIONS There are two solutions to forward kinematics:
Solution 1 (up-configuration):
As depicted in Fig.1, a five-bar planar parallel manipulator
with symmetrical structure and a reference frame Oxy is p1 = 1 + 2 (9)
established in the workspace. The five-bar planar parallel p2 = 3 + 2 (10)
manipulator is actuated by two active joints, A1 and A2,
which are fixed on the base. Three passive revolute joints of Solution 2 (down-configuration):
the five-bar planar parallel manipulator are P1, P2 and E.We p1 = 2 1 + 2 (11)
denote a=(a1,a2)T and p=(p1,p2)T corresponding to the p 2 = + 2 + 3 (12)
active joint vector and passive joint vector, respectively;
X=(x,y)T is the Cartesian coordinates; and E(x,y) is the end- In this paper, we just consider the solution 1 (up-
effector of the parallel manipulators. The links length of the configuration) to the forward kinematics for analyzing the
parallel manipulators are A1P1 = A2P2 = l1, P1E = P2E = l2, five-bar planar parallel manipulator.
and l0=A1A2. B. Inverse kinematics
y In the inverse kinematics problem, we compute the input
E(x,y)
Active joints a from the given position of end-effector E ( x , y ) . As
Passive joints depicted in Fig.2, there could be four different solutions to
l2 l2 this problem with a desired position of the end-effector.

p2 y
p1
P1
E(x,y) Active joints
P2
l1
a1 Passive joints
l1
O a2 x l2
l2
A1
A2
l0 l0 P1 P2
Fig. 1. The five-bar planar parallel manipulator.
1 2
l1
l1 1
2
A. Forward kinematics x
The forward kinematics problem is to obtain the output A1 O A2
E ( x , y ) in the reference A1xy with respect to a set of given l0 l0
Fig. 2. Four solutions to the inverse kinematics of the five-bar planar
input a. parallel manipulator.
From Fig.1, we obtain:
x = l 0 + l1 cos a1 + l 2 cos p1 (1) We compute:
x = l 0 + l1 cos a 2 + l 2 cos p 2 (2)
1 = acos 1 0 (
l 2 + (l + x ) 2 + y 2 l 2
2 )
And: 2l (l + x ) 2 + y 2 (13)
y = l1 sin a1 + l 2 sin p1 (3) 1 0
y = l1 sin a 2 + l 2 sin p 2 (4)
2 = acos 1
2
0 (
l + (l x ) + y l
2 2 2
2 )
2 l (l x ) 2 + y 2 (14)
Here we have four joint variables a1, a2, p1 and p2. 1 0
Only a1 and a2 are independent and are the inputs of the y
controller for the parallel manipulator, while the rest joints 1 = atan
(15)
p1 and p2 are functions of a1 and a2. We compute p1 and l0 + x

978-1-4673-0813-7/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE 8


ICCAIS 2013: Main Track ICCAIS 2013

y taking a local optimal approach in [7], the number of


2 = atan
(16) parameters that need to be determined in the design process
l0 x is reduced. And good condition index in the workspace is
The four solutions to inverse kinematics will be: guaranteed.
a1 = 1 1 (17) Based on the analysis in [3], the theoretical workspace or
a2 = 2 2 (18) reachable workspace of symmetric five-bar planar parallel
The four solutions to the inverse kinematic problem manipulator is the intersection region which is bounded by
correspond to four working modes of the five-bar planar the four following circles:
parallel manipulators as follows. C1o : ( x + l0 ) 2 + y 2 = (l1 + l2 ) 2
(1) Mode "+-" : a1 = 1 + 1 and a 2 = 2 2 2 2 2
(2) Mode "-+": a1 = 1 1 and a 2 = 2 + 2
C1i : ( x + l0 ) + y = (l1 l2 )
2 2
(19)
(3) Mode "--": a1 = 1 1 and a 2 = 2 2 C2o : ( x l0 ) + y = (l1 + l2 )
(4) Mode "++": a1 = 1 + 1 and a 2 = 2 + 2 . C2i : ( x l0 ) 2 + y 2 = (l1 l2 ) 2
In this paper, we consider the solutions to the inverse The usable workspace is defined as the maximum
kinematics of five-bar planar parallel manipulator with continuous workspace that contains no singular loci inside
working mode "+-". but boundary by singular loci outside. And the maximal
inscribed circle (MIC) is defined as the circle that is located
III. OPTIMAL KINEMATIC DESIGN METHOD at the y axis and tangent with the usable workspace boundary
In [13], a general approach to the optimal kinematic curves. The MIC is defined as [3]:
x 2 + ( y yMIC ) = rMIC
22
synthesis problem of parallel manipulators is presented based (20)
on a random search technique. When applied to the five-bar
where rMIC is the radius and (0, yMIC) is the center.
planar manipulator case, the algorithm was implemented in
If l1+l2 > l0, we will obtain:
two steps. In the first step, a square effective workspace was
taken for instance by choosing a point in workspace that [ ]
yMIC = (l1 + l2 + yCol ) l02 2(l1 + l2 + yCol )
2
(21)
satisfies all constraints as the center of the square workspace.
yCol = l12 (l2 l0 ) 2 (22)
The size length of this square was chosen adequately large
and after that reduced gradually until all constraints were rMIC = yMIC yCol (23)
fulfilled. In the second step, the center of the square If l1+l2 = l0 then the workspace will be equal to zero.
workspace was varied for finding the maximal size of the
square effective workspace corresponding to the given link y Active joints
lengths of the five-bar manipulator. Repeat two steps above
for different sets of parameters, they find the maximal E(x,y) Passive joints
effective workspace. A controlled random search technique
was used for this searching process. l2 l2
However, the disadvantages of the method presented in
[13] are shown as follows: First, the arbitrary choosing of the
center and adequately large side length of square workspace P1 P2
make the process become complex and take a lot of l1 l1
computations. Second, the algorithm has to handle many
parameters such as the link lengths of parallel manipulators, O x
the coordinate of center of the square regular workspace, the A1
A2
constraint parameters,... And finally, in the algorithm, the l0 l0
authors did not concern about the singular configurations of Fig.3. The optimal configuration of the five-bar planar parallel
five-bar manipulator in the searching workspace. manipulator.
In this paper, we present a hybrid method that avoids the
disadvantages of the method in [13]. In our method, we find In the optimal kinematic design problem, we include
the optimal workspace inside the maximal inscribed circle considering the conditioning index which is defined by [14]:
(MIC). This circle is the usable workspace which is defined 1 min
= (24)
as the maximum continuous workspace that contains no max
singular loci inside but is bounded by singular loci outside
[3]. By this way, we find the center of the square regular in which 0 1 1and min, max are the minimum and
workspace as the center of MIC, and the initialization of the maximum singular values of Jacobian, respectively. The
maximum square is the square inscribed of the MIC bigger 1 is the better it is.
corresponding to a given set of parameters. In addition, by

978-1-4673-0813-7/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE 9


ICCAIS 2013: Main Track ICCAIS 2013

The result in [7] showed that, the condition for five-bar And then, by changing the value of , different largest
planar parallel manipulator achieves an optimal side lengths of the square workspace Wo ( ) are obtained
configuration when the following parametric relationship is correspondingly. The maximal value of all those largest side
satisfied: lengths gives the maximal size for the square workspace
l0 =
2
(l2 l1 ) (27) ( )
Wo corresponding to the given value of .
2
At this optimal configuration, min takes the maximum and
max takes the minimum values simultaneously in the overall
workspace.
The position of the end-effector when the robot is at the 1 < max
optimal configuration is shown in Fig.3. And the coordinates
of the end-effector E(x,y) at this position are as the rMIC, yMIC
following: a = rMIC 2
T
2 (28)
E ( x, y) = 0, (l1 + l2 )
2
Let aimax and aimin be, respectively, the lower and upper
a = a a
bounds for ith actuator due to the actuator limits (i= 1,2).
The optimal kinematic design problem for maximization of
effective usable workspace of the five-bar planar parallel
manipulator is formulated as follows.
Optimization problem:
aMAX = a;
Find the link lengths l0, l1 and l2 that maximize a a=0
workspace bounded by a square Wo ( ) inside the MIC and
Fig.4. Flowchart of the algorithm to find aMAX .
subjects to all constrains below:
(1) 1 / (29)

(2) l0 = 2 (30) IV. DESIGN EXAMPLE


(l2 l1 )
2 In the optimization problem described in section III,
(3) a1min a1 a1max (31) given = 0.5, l1 = 1, a1max = 4/3, a1min = -/3, a2max =
4/3, a2min = -/3 as an example for the optimum kinematic
(4) a 2 min a 2 a 2 max (32)
design of the five-bar manipulator. We apply the proposed
where is the ratio of l2 to l1; is a design constant. method for changes from 1.2 to 4, the plot of aMAX versus
is given in Fig.5.
Solution:
0 l0 < l1 + l2 .
1.4

In this paper, we consider the case of


So from equation (27) we have 1 . The optimal design 1.2

problem above becomes an one-dimensional optimization


problem in which the objective function Wo ( ) cannot be
1

expressed as a mathematic function. The algorithm for


aMax

0.8

finding Wo ( ) at a given value of is described as follows:


- At a given value of 1 and 0 1 , we could
0.6

find the parameters rMIC and yMIC using the equations (21), 0.4

(22) and (23).


- Choosing the inscribed square of the MIC as the 0.2
1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

maximal square workspace, the side length of this square is

Fig.5. Plot of aMAX versus = 0.5 and = 1.2 - 4.


a = rMIC 2 . Then decrease a gradually until all constrains
are fulfilled. This obtained value of a is therefore the largest Fig. 5 shows that the area of Wo ( ) which satisfies all
( )
side length of the square workspace Wo corresponding constrains (23)-(26) of the optimization problem increases
to the given value . The flow chart of the algorithm to find with the increase in from 1.2 to about 2, but this tendency
aMAX is presented in Fig. 4. decreases when > 2. We also can see that aMax has only
one optimal value in the interval (1.8, 2.3) . For finding

978-1-4673-0813-7/13/$31.00 2013 IEEE 10


ICCAIS 2013: Main Track ICCAIS 2013

exactly optimal solution, we can apply the Golden Section the condition index has the maximal value. The number of
Search method or Fibonaci Search method. parameters that needs to be determined in the design process
Using Golden Section Search method, we find the is reduced. A searching algorithm is proposed for finding the
optimal solution: 1.9721 and aMax 1.3142 . The link lengths of robot to maximize usable workspace. In this
usable workspace not only there is no singularity
contour of conditional index is expressed in Fig. 6.
configuration, but also a good dexterity is satisfied. An
example was carried out and the results show the
effectiveness of the proposed optimal kinematic design
method for the manipulators.
1

0.9
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to express financial supports from
Condition Index

0.8
Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy under Human
0.7 Resources Development Program for Convergence Robot
Specialists and under Robot Industry Core Technology
0.6
Project, and in part by The University of Danang-Vietnam.
1
0.5 0.5
2.5
2
0
x
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-0.5
y 1.5
-1
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