High performance parallel manipulators

机器人操纵器通常由通过关节连接的连杆组成，其处于开环配置（称为串联操纵器）或闭环配置（称为并联操纵器）。也可以组合开环和闭环模块（混合布局）。如果终止机器人执行所需任务的能力的任何故障/故障不会导致不安全的系统，则机器人操纵器是可靠的。如果它不会对操作员、环境和自身造成伤害或损坏，则是安全的;如果系统在故障后可以安全停止，则是故障安全的。容错机械臂在发生故障后仍能安全地完成任务。通过适当的设计，并联机器人可以具有高精度、刚度、负载能力和动态特性（例如，高加速度）。由于这些优点，并联机器人在高速操作、物料搬运、运动平台、机床、医疗、行星探测等领域的潜在市场日益扩大，因此，研究优化、可靠、安全、容错和高性能的并联机器人的设计方法是十分必要的。目前研究建议的目标是发展这种设计和解决方法。机械手的设计将根据特定标准进行优化，结合串行和并行设计，考虑制造和运营成本，并利用标准部件和模块化设计。这些设计的建模和分析将进行调查。不同级别的冗余，例如，将考虑冗余部件（如接头）和冗余信息（如内部和/或外部传感器），并探索解决冗余问题的方法。在从事这些项目的同时，学生将开发和/或磨练技术知识，实践专业知识和沟通技巧。因此，高素质的工程师将在机器人，设计，建模，分析，模拟，校准和诊断领域接受培训。这反过来又将提高加拿大在日益增长的各种应用并行设备潜在市场中的竞争力。

Robot manipulators generally consist of links connected by joints, either in an open-loop configuration (referred to as serial manipulators) or in a closed-loop configuration (referred to as parallel manipulators). It is also possible to have combinations of open-loop and closed-loop modules (hybrid layout). A robot manipulator is reliable if any failure/malfunction, which terminates the ability of robot to perform a required task, would not result in an unsafe system. It is safe if it causes no injury or damage to the operator, environment and itself and is fail-safe if the system can be stopped safely after a failure. A fault-tolerant manipulator can complete its task safely after any failures. With proper design, parallel manipulators can have high accuracy, stiffness, load capacity, and dynamic characteristics (e.g., high accelerations). Because of these advantages, the potential market for parallel manipulators has been expanding to areas such as high speed manipulation, material handling, motion platforms, machine tools, medical fields, planetary exploration and so on. Therefore, methodologies for the design of optimum, reliable, safe, fault tolerant and high performance parallel manipulators are essential. The development of such design and solution methodologies is the objective of the current research proposal. The design of manipulators will be optimized based on specific criteria by combining serial and parallel designs, taking into account the cost of manufacturing and operation, and utilizing standard components and modular designs. Modelling and analysis of these designs will be investigated. Different levels of redundancy, e.g., redundant component (such as joints) and redundant information (such as internal and/or external sensors), will be considered and methodologies for redundancy resolution will be explored. While working on these projects, the students will develop and/or hone technical knowledge, hands-on expertise and communication skills. Therefore, highly qualified engineers will be trained in the areas of robotics, design, modelling, analysis, simulation, calibration and diagnosis. This, in turn, will enhance Canada's competitiveness in the growing potential market of parallel devices for diverse applications.