Research Equipment Grant for Development of a High-Speed Ultra-Accurate Six DOF Manipulator Based on Two-Dimensional Linear Motors

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9977693KhorramiThis project will develop a new type of robot arm for a High-Speed Ultra-Accurate Six DOF Manipulator Based on Two-Dimensional Linear Motors to enhance and complement and current research efforts. Planar multi-robot systems based on commercial Sawyer motors provide uniform performance over their entire workspace, offering high speeds, accelerations, and precision. They also offer mechanical and kinematic simplicity, modularity, large motion ranges, and a short path to mechanical ground. In fact such a system can provide a multiple robot table top manufacturing system. These systems are now commercially available from multiple manufactures and are used for a range of applications from wafer probing to circuit board assembly. Planar robot systems use has increased tremendously because of the current trend to smaller devices and the requirement for higher accuracy placement. Unfortunately, primarily because Sawyer motors are operated as open-loop micro-step motors, they can miss steps, have long settle times, and are operated short of their potential capabilities due to loss of synchrony between motor and platen teeth. These limitations can be overcome using a new novel, very high resolution (0.12um; microns), 2D position sensor that was developed by Dr. Ish-Shalom and patented by IBM. The PI has fabricated sensors to his motor. Not only this sensor provides a means for closed-loop control of this motor and therefore higher resolution, but also the point-to-point move time of the motor may be decreased through active damping to achieve better settling times. Furthermore, a higher stiffness may also be achieved. Through the NSF support of previous effort, the PI has fabricated sensors, designed housing for them, and have attached the sensors to the motors for feedback purposes. This grant will provide for additional equipment to develop a six degree-of-freedom manipulator based on two-dimensional Sawyer motors. The manipulator is direct drive and actuated by three Sawyer motors. The manipulator mechanism is basically a tripod with Sawyer motors at its base to provide linear motions of the tripod legs. By properly coordinating the motors, three-axis of translations and three-axis of rotations are produced at the top of the tripod. By proper design of the tripod and a good design of its kinematic parameters, large translations (unlimited X and Y depending on the size of platen used and a few inches of Z movement) and rotations (possibly up to 160 degrees) at the end-effector can, be generated. This equipment will provide an excellent basis to complement the PI's current research efforts and to develop the aforementioned six DOF manipulator.