The physical prototype of the novel Delta-like parallel robot
Abstract
This paper presents a novel 5-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) delta-like parallel robot named the double-pitch-delta robot, which can output three translations and two pitch rotations for peg-in-hole assembly. First, the kinematic mechanism of the new robot is designed based on the DOF requirements. Second, the closed-form kinematic model of the double-pitch-delta robot is established. Finally, the workspace of the double-pitch-delta robot is quantitatively analyzed, and a physical prototype of the new robot is developed to verify the effectiveness of the designed mechanism and the established models. Compared with the existing 5-DOF parallel robots with two pitch rotations, the double-pitch-delta robot has a simpler forward displacement model, larger workspace, and fewer singular loci. The double-pitch-delta robot can be also extended as a 6-DOF hybrid robot with the full-cycle tool-axis rotation to satisfy more complex operations. With these benefits, the new robot has a promising prospect in assembly applications.
