Kinematic analysis and workspace optimization of a novel 4RPSP + PS parallel manipulator

Abstract

In this article, a novel flight simulator manipulator with four degrees of freedom (DOFs) is introduced. The manipulator is called 4RPSP + PS parallel manipulator (PM) having a fixed platform, a planar moving platform, four active RPSP (revolute-prismatic-spherical-prismatic) legs and one passive PS leg. The first prismatic joints of RPSP legs are actuated and hence underlined. The passive PS leg constrains motion of the manipulator to three rotations and one translation (3R1T). The proposed 4RPSP + PS PM has closed-form solutions for both inverse and forward position kinematics through which unique working and assembly modes are found during motion. Singularity and kinematic dexterity analyses based on the Jacobian matrices reveal that the manipulator can be easily designed to have a workspace free of singularities. A constrained optimization problem is also presented based on the workspace and kinematic dexterity of the manipulator.

Communicated by Ashitava Ghosal

Keywords:

• Parallel manipulator
• 4 DOFs
• kinematics
• singularity
• workspace
• dexterity
• optimal design