This Chapter presents an overall evaluation of a numerical general procedure for the determination and evaluation of the workspace for serial and parallel manipulators by using a discretization of the operational space. Workspace determination is usually an intermediate but critical step in analyzing manipulators, therefore it is very important to have a powerful tool to provide its estimation for a given architecture. In the literature several methods have been proposed to determine the workspace of manipulators by using analytical or numerical approaches for serial or parallel architectures. Most of the proposed methods for workspace analysis and determination have been defined and are useful only for serial or for parallel architectures. The proposed procedure can be applied to serial and parallel mechanisms and allows to create a cloud of points representing the workspace. The workspace investigation is carry out by using a suitable formulation based on Direct or Inverse Kinematics, depending on the manipulator architecture. Furthermore, numerical data is further processed in a CAD environment in order to create an useful representation of manipulators’ workspace, which can be implemented in virtual representation of an industrial application for a 3D layout optimization. Numerical investigations are reported as related to serial and parallel industrial robots, and regarding to new prototypes of cable-based parallel manipulators.
Chapter: Manipulators workspace analysis as based on a numerical approach: theory and applications
CASTELLI, Gianni;OTTAVIANO, Erika
2012-01-01
Abstract
This Chapter presents an overall evaluation of a numerical general procedure for the determination and evaluation of the workspace for serial and parallel manipulators by using a discretization of the operational space. Workspace determination is usually an intermediate but critical step in analyzing manipulators, therefore it is very important to have a powerful tool to provide its estimation for a given architecture. In the literature several methods have been proposed to determine the workspace of manipulators by using analytical or numerical approaches for serial or parallel architectures. Most of the proposed methods for workspace analysis and determination have been defined and are useful only for serial or for parallel architectures. The proposed procedure can be applied to serial and parallel mechanisms and allows to create a cloud of points representing the workspace. The workspace investigation is carry out by using a suitable formulation based on Direct or Inverse Kinematics, depending on the manipulator architecture. Furthermore, numerical data is further processed in a CAD environment in order to create an useful representation of manipulators’ workspace, which can be implemented in virtual representation of an industrial application for a 3D layout optimization. Numerical investigations are reported as related to serial and parallel industrial robots, and regarding to new prototypes of cable-based parallel manipulators.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
