The purpose of the thesis is to achieve a hybrid force and motion control method of parallel manipulators working in a constrained environment, in the presence of joint flexibility that occurs at the actuated joints. A flexible joint is modeled and the equations of motion of the parallel manipulator are derived by using the Lagrange formulation. The structural damping of the active joints, viscous friction at the passive joints and the rotor damping are also considered in the model. It is shown that in a flexible joint manipulator, the acceleration level inverse dynamic equations are singular because the control torques do not have instantaneous effect on the manipulator end-effector contact forces and accelerations due to the flexibility. Implicit numerical integration methods are utilized for solving the singular equations. As a case study, a two legged constrained planar parallel manipulator with three degrees of freedom is simulated to illustrate the performance of the method.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία περιλαμβάνει την σχεδίαση και τον έλεγχο μέσω προγράμματος σε περιβάλλον LabView, ενός διπλού παράλληλου μηχανισμού με Τεχνητούς Πνευματικούς Μύες (Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs)). Η μηχανική διάταξη που κατασκευάστηκε είναι ένας διπλός παράλληλος μηχανισμός βασισμένος σε δύο τροποποιημένες πλατφόρμες τύπου Stewart. Ως ενεργοποιητές για την κίνηση στις πλατφόρμες χρησιμοποιήθηκαν Τεχνητοί Πνευματικοί Μύες ενώ για την στήριξη αυτών σε συγκεκριμένο ρυθμιζόμενο ύψος πνευματικά έμβολα διπλής δράσης, με μη περιστρεφόμενα πιστόνια. Παράλληλα, πάνω στις πλατφόρμες τοποθετήθηκαν δύο κλισιόμετρα προκειμένου να παρέχουν πληροφορίες για την κλίση αυτών. Ο έλεγχος της πίεσης του αέρα που υπάρχει στους μύες και στα έμβολα γίνεται μέσω αναλογικών ρυθμιστών πίεσης. Σε λειτουργία Ανοικτού Βρόγχου (Open loop Operation) ο μηχανισμός μπορεί να εκτελέσει παράλληλες ή περιστροφικές κινήσεις σε κάθε πλατφόρμα ξεχωριστά ή και στις δύο ταυτόχρονα. Ο χρήστης επιλέγει το εύρος της κίνησης αλλά και τη συχνότητα εκτέλεσής της. Στα πλαίσια της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας, μελετήθηκε η ανταγωνιστική λειτουργία των μυών και εξετάστηκαν τρόποι για την βελτίωσή της. Σε λειτουργία κλειστού βρόγχου (Closed Loop Operation) ο χρήστης εισάγει στον υπολογιστή με τον οποίο είναι συνδεδεμένη η διάταξη, τις επιθυμητές γωνίες στις οποίες θέλει να βρεθεί η κάθε πλατφόρμα. Υλοποιείται αλγόριθμος ελέγχου τύπου PID για κάθε ζεύγος μυών και μέσω αυτών υπολογίζονται οι κατάλληλες πιέσεις που πρέπει να έχει ο κάθε μυς, ώστε οι πλατφόρμες να επιτύχουν την επιθυμητή γωνία. Όλες οι διεργασίες ελέγχου της πλατφόρμας τόσο σε λειτουργία ανοικτού όσο και σε λειτουργία κλειστού βρόχου υλοποιούνται μέσω τους προγραμματιστικού περιβάλλοντος LabView της εταιρείας National Instruments (NI). / This thesis, presents the development of a double parallel mechanism actuated by Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (PAMs) and controlled via LabView. The mechanical arrangement is a double parallel mechanism based on two modified Stewart platforms. PAMs have been used as platforms’ actuators and also non revolute double action pneumatic cylinders have been incorporated in order to support them at a user specified height. In addition two dual axis inclinometers have been utilized in order to provide the necessary angle feedback for the control loop. The pressure regulation in the PAMs and in the pneumatic cylinders is performed by proportional pressure regulators. In the Open Loop Operation, the mechanism can perform parallel or circular motions, in each platform independently or combined. The user chooses the range and the frequency of the performed motion. Furthermore the antagonistic operation of the PAMs has been studied. In the Closed Loop Operation the user inserts the platforms’ desired angles. A PID controller is implemented for every pair of antagonistic muscles, giving the necessary pressures in the antagonistic PAMs. All the control operations both in Open and Closed Loop are performed via National’s Instruments LabView software.

This thesis is a result of research aimed at analysis of the Taylor Spatial Frames (TSF) in Orthopaedics. The TSF is a ring external fixator, which are used to stabilise a fracture or provide stability during skeletal limb reconstruction procedures. A sound understanding of the mechanics of the fixator is essential, because mechanical stability is a key factor in bone healing. TSF is in fact an adaptation of the hexapod parallel manipulators for dynamisation of the classical ring fixators of Ilizarov type. Therefore, a general solution for Forward kinematics of parallel manipulators was provided and the solution is visualised in real-time. A three-dimensional visualisation tool for TSF, was developed, which offers improvements over the software provided by the manufacturer. Abaqus/CAE programming interfaces were used to develop two separate systems for automatic creation of FEMs of the TSF: one using beam elements and the other using 3D solid elements. The systems were used for a parametric study on axial compression of the TSF. Components of the TSF were also tested and analysed: o TSF rings were studied extensively, which lead to revealing important facts about their role in the TSF. o Fixation bolts in external fixators were studied by FE technique and the results used to relate bolt-load to the bolt-torque applied. o TSF struts were tested in compression and their load-deflection behaviour and the role of universal joints in them were described. TSF and Ilizarov fixators were tested and compared in axial compression. The results highlighted the important role of the pins and wires in deflection of the fixators.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD(Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

This diploma thesis is dealing with the concepts behind the Stewart platform based flight simulation phenomena along with the method of inverse kinematics computation. Further, a washout algorithm to provide appropriate vestibular sensing to the pilot and ensuring that platform will not reach its limits is presented. Digital filters designed to be used in the implementation of the washout algorithm and their characteristics are also covered. The last part describes the architecture of the whole system and the implementation of individual parts.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第24609号 / 工博第5115号 / 新制||工||1978(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科機械理工学専攻 / (主査)教授 小森 雅晴, 教授 松野 文俊, 教授 松原 厚 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

No description available.

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a position control method for parallel manipulators so that the end effector can follow a desired trajectory specified in the task space where joint flexibility that occurs at the actuated joints is also taken into consideration. At the beginning of the study, a flexible joint is modeled, and the equations of motion of the parallel manipulators are derived for both actuator variables and joint variables by using the Lagrange formulation under three assumptions regarding dynamic coupling between the links and the actuators. These equations of motion are transformed to an input/output relation between the actuator torques and the actuated joint variables to achieve the trajectory tracking control. Moreover, the singular configurations of the parallel manipulators are explained. As a case study, a three degree of freedom, two legged planar parallel manipulator is simulated considering joint flexibility. The structural damping of the active joints, viscous friction at the passive joints and the rotor damping are also considered throughout the study. Matlab&reg / and Simulink&reg / softwares are used for the simulations. The results of the simulations reveal that steady state errors are negligibly small and good tracking performances can be achieved.

In this thesis, a technique for the motion of parallel manipulators through drive singularities is investigated. To remedy the problem of unbounded inverse dynamics solution in the neighborhood of drive singularities, an inverse dynamics controller which uses a conventional inverse dynamics control law outside the neighborhood of singularities and switches to the mode based on the formerly derived modified equations inside the neighborhood of singularities is proposed. As a result, good tracking performance is obtained while the actuator forces remain within the saturation limits of the actuators around singular configurations.