DESIGN AND KINETOSTATIC MODELING OF A CABLE-DRIVEN SCHÖNFLIES-MOTION GENERATOR

Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) use cables to move a moving-platform in space offering different advantages, such as high payload, reconfigurability, large translational workspace and high dynamic performances. However, their orientational workspace is usually limited due to cable/cable and cable/moving-platform collisions. In this paper, a novel Schönflies-Motion Generator (SMG) with a large translational workspace and a full rotation of its end-effector about a vertical axis is introduced. The full rotation of the end-effector is obtained using a parallelogram cable loop. It should be noted that the four degrees of freedom motion of the end-effector is controlled by four actuators fixed to the ground thanks to three parallelogram cable loops and a transmission system containing a differential mechanism. The kinetostatic model of the CDPR under design is expressed. The static workspace of the proposed Cable-Driven SMG(CDSMG) with three different cable arrangements is analyzed. Finally, a prototype of the CDSMG is presented and preliminary experimental results are discussed.