Type Synthesis of Parallel Mechanisms [Hardcover]

This unique monograph focuses on the systematic type synthesis of parallel mechanisms (PMs), a key issue in the creative design of a wide variety of innovative devices such as parallel manipulators, motion simulators, and haptic devices. Essential reading for researchers, developers, engineers and graduate students with interests in robotics, this book covers the classification of PMs as well as providing a large number of PMs ready to be used in practical applications.

Synthesis Approach.- Structural Analysis.- Type Synthesis of Single-Loop Kinematic Chains.- Classification of Parallel Mechanisms.- Virtual-Chain Approach for the Type Synthesis of Parallel Mechanisms.- Case Studies.- Three-DOF PPP= Parallel Mechanisms.- Three-DOF S= Parallel Mechanisms.- Three-DOF PPR= Parallel Mechanisms.- Four-DOF PPPR= Parallel Mechanisms.- Four-DOF SP= Parallel Mechanisms.- Five-DOF US= Parallel Mechanisms.- Five-DOF PPPU= Parallel Mechanisms.- Five-DOF PPS= Parallel Mechanisms.- Parallel Mechanisms with a Parallel Virtual Chain.- Conclusions.This unique monograph focuses on the systematic type synthesis of parallel mechanisms (PMs), which is a key issue in the creative design of a wide variety of innovative devices based on PMs such as parallel manipulators, parallel kinematic machines (machine tools), motion simulators, haptic devices, micro-manipulators, and nano-manipulators. Type synthesis of PMs refers to finding all the types of PMs realizing a specified motion requirement. This book covers the classification of PMs and an efficient method for the type synthesis of PMs and also provides a large number of PMs ready to be used in practical applications. The synthesis approach is based on the concept of virtual chain and the elementary notions of screw theory. Using the proposed approach, families
of PMs are constructed from a set of compositional units. The approach is conceptually simple and easy to use. A general procedure for the mobill³’