Improving Dexterity and Workspace for 3-DOF Spherical Motion Telemanipulators

Telemanipulators are devices that consist of two main components: a control part (master) and an execution part (slave). They are widely used in various fields where remote control is necessary to manipulate objects or tools within a specific work area. The efficiency of a telemanipulator is often assessed by its degrees of freedom. In this study, starting from a telemanipulator featuring 3 degrees of freedom of pure spherical motion (previously presented by the authors), we propose three different mechanisms—both parallel and serial, spatial and planar—that, when appropriately combined with the spherical telemanipulator, can significantly expand the overall system's workspace. This expansion enhances efficiency and comfort for the operator. Finally, we compare the various systems based on their mechanical characteristics.