Developmentoof a Unified Kinematic Theory of Combination Serial and Parallel Mechanisms

提出的研究解决了包括串联和并联链段组合的机械构型的正运动学和逆运动学。其目的是为解决协调计算的可控性和复杂性问题的一般理论奠定基础。这项研究涵盖了广泛的机制类别，包括自主行星漫游车和灵活制造系统等各种系统。该研究解决了串联和并联子结构的不同组合方式对这些机构的正逆位置和速率运动学以及相关的力分解特性的影响。这种机构的许多例子已经被开发出来，包括在每个手指上有多个独立驱动关节的多指手，一个整体意义上的并联机构，但每个肢体包括一个串联链和几个串联连接的驱动关节。已经出现了一些串联和并行机制的联合研究，但该主题显然需要扩展研究以提供一个全面的理论。该理论应该允许设计人员以一种优于纯串行或纯并行架构的方式使用组合结构。

The proposed research addresses forward and inverse position kinematics of mechanical configurations comprising combinations of both serial and parallel chain segments. The intent is to lay the foundations of a general theory which will address issues of controllability and complexity of coordination computations. This research covers a broad class of mechanisms which includes systems as diverse as autonomous planetary rover vehicles and flexible manufacturing systems. The study addresses the implications of different ways of combining serial and parallel substructures for the direct and inverse position and rate kinematics of these mechanism, and for the associated force decomposition characteristics. Many examples of such mechanisms have already been developed and include the multi-fingered hand with multiple independently actuated joints in each finger, a parallel mechanism in an overall sense, but with each limb comprising a serial chain with several actuated joints connected in series. Some study of combined serial and parallel mechanisms has occurred, but the topic is clearly in need of expanded research to provide for a comprehensive theory. The theory should allow designers to make use of combination structures in a manner which will provide improved performance over either purely serial or purely parallel architectures.