In this paper, we introduce a new type of spatial parallel robot that is comprised of soft inflatable constraints called trichamber actuators (TCAs). We extend the principles of the freedom and constraint topologies (FACT) synthesis approach to enable the synthesis and analysis of this new type of soft robot. The concepts of passive and active freedom spaces are introduced and applied to the design of general parallel systems that consist of active constraints (i.e., constraint that can be actuated to impart various loads onto the system's stage) that both drive desired motions and guide the system's desired degrees of freedom (DOFs). We provide the fabrication details of the TCA constraints introduced in this paper and experimentally determine their appropriate FACT-based constraint model. We fabricate a soft parallel robot that consists of three TCA constraints and verify and validate its FACT-predicted performance using finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental data. Other such soft robots are synthesized using FACT as case studies.
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Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
e-mail: gkrishna@illinois.edu
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February 2015
Research-Article
Synthesis and Analysis of Soft Parallel Robots Comprised of Active Constraints
Jonathan B. Hopkins,
Jonathan B. Hopkins
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: hopkins@seas.ucla.edu; jonathanbhopkins@gmail.com
University of California
, Los Angeles
,420 Westwood Plaza
,46-147F Engineering IV. Bldg.
,Los Angeles, CA 90095
e-mail: hopkins@seas.ucla.edu; jonathanbhopkins@gmail.com
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Jordan Rivera,
Jordan Rivera
1
Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: jar055@bucknell.edu
Bucknell University
,701 Moore Ave.
,Lewisburg, PA 17837
e-mail: jar055@bucknell.edu
1These are co-first authors due to their equal level of contribution to this paper.
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Charles Kim,
Charles Kim
Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: charles.kim@bucknell.edu
Bucknell University
,701 Moore Ave.
,Lewisburg, PA 17837
e-mail: charles.kim@bucknell.edu
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Girish Krishnan
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
e-mail: gkrishna@illinois.edu
Girish Krishnan
Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering
,Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
314 Transportation Bldg. 104 S. Mathews
,Urbana, IL 61801
e-mail: gkrishna@illinois.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Jonathan B. Hopkins
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,
e-mail: hopkins@seas.ucla.edu; jonathanbhopkins@gmail.com
University of California
, Los Angeles
,420 Westwood Plaza
,46-147F Engineering IV. Bldg.
,Los Angeles, CA 90095
e-mail: hopkins@seas.ucla.edu; jonathanbhopkins@gmail.com
Jordan Rivera
Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: jar055@bucknell.edu
Bucknell University
,701 Moore Ave.
,Lewisburg, PA 17837
e-mail: jar055@bucknell.edu
Charles Kim
Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: charles.kim@bucknell.edu
Bucknell University
,701 Moore Ave.
,Lewisburg, PA 17837
e-mail: charles.kim@bucknell.edu
Girish Krishnan
Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering
,Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
314 Transportation Bldg. 104 S. Mathews
,Urbana, IL 61801
e-mail: gkrishna@illinois.edu
1These are co-first authors due to their equal level of contribution to this paper.
2Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS. Manuscript received September 24, 2014; final manuscript received December 2, 2014; published online December 31, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Carl Nelson.
J. Mechanisms Robotics. Feb 2015, 7(1): 011002 (13 pages)
Published Online: February 1, 2015
Article history
Received:
September 24, 2014
Revision Received:
December 2, 2014
Online:
December 31, 2014
Citation
Hopkins, J. B., Rivera, J., Kim, C., and Krishnan, G. (February 1, 2015). "Synthesis and Analysis of Soft Parallel Robots Comprised of Active Constraints." ASME. J. Mechanisms Robotics. February 2015; 7(1): 011002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4029324
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