Trajectory Generation for Three Degree of Freedom Cable Suspended Parallel Robots Based on Analytical Integration of the Dynamic Equations

Abstract

This paper proposes a trajectory generation technique for three degreeoffreedom (3dof) planar cablesuspended parallel robots. Based on the kinematic and dynamic modeling of the robot, positive constant ratios between cable tensions and cable lengths are assumed. This assumption allows the transformation of the dynamic equations into linear differential equations with constant coefficients for the positioning part, while the orientation equation becomes a pendulumlike differential equation for which accurate solutions can be found in the literature. The integration of the differential equations is shown to yield families of translational trajectories and associated special frequencies. This result generalizes the special cases previously identified in the literature. Combining the results obtained with translational trajectories and rotational trajectories, more general combined motions are analyzed. Examples are given in order to demonstrate the results. Because of the initial assumption on which the proposed method is based, the ratio between cable forces and cable lengths is constant and hence always positive, which ensures that all cables remain under tension. Therefore, the acceleration vector remains in the column space of the Jacobian matrix, which means that the mechanism can smoothly pass through kinematic singularities. The proposed trajectory planning approach can be used to plan dynamic trajectories that extend beyond the static workspace of the mechanism.