Typically, when a robotic manipulator undergoes rapid acceleration, there is a commensurate loss in end-effector positional accuracy. To achieve high accuracy of the working end, massive links are usually required. Conversely, to achieve high accelerations, thin and flimsy links have to be employed, only to be plagued by large end-effector vibrations and long settling times. However, this traditional tradeoff can be circumvented through the application of high-performance materials such as graphite/epoxy which exhibits high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios as well as good damping properties. This thesis describes the process of designing and fabricating the three principal mechanisms of an anthropomorphic lightweight robotic arm: the shoulder joint, elbow joint and wrist. Each mechanism comprises various components which were individually optimized for strength stiffness and weight by finite element analysis. The components were then synthesized into shoulder, elbow and wrist mechanisms that exhibited excellent workspace, low backlash and low friction. This lightweight composite manipulator was developed as a multi-purpose arm for possible applications in the remote repair of hydroelectric power lines, minesweeping and the handling of hazardous materials.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.28015 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Roy, Matthew MacGregor. |
| Contributors | Lessard, Larry (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Engineering (Department of Mechanical Engineering.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001615539, proquestno: MQ37282, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
Page generated in 0.0018 seconds