Cable-Driven Parallel Robot Actuators: State of the Art and Novel Servo-Winch Concept

Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) use cables arranged in a parallel fashion to manipulate an end-effector (EE). They are functionally similar several cranes that automatically collaborate handling shared payload. Thus, CDPRs share types of equipment with cranes, such as winches, hoists, and pulleys. On the other hand, since rely on model-based automatic controllers for their operations, standard crane may severely limit performance. In particular, achieve reasonably accurate feedback control EE pose during process, length cable inside workspace robot should be known. Cable is usually inferred by measuring winch angular displacement, but this operation simple only if transmission ratio constant. This problem called design novel actuation schemes CDPRs; paper, we analyze existing architectures so-called servo-winches (i.e., servo-actuators which employ rotational motor have constant ratio), propose servo-winch concept compare state-of-the-art our terms pros cons, requirements, applications.