Marco Ceccarelli * , Giuseppe Carbone, Erika Ottaviano Multi Criteria Optimum Design of Manipulators Keywords: Robotics, Manipulators, Performance Criteria, Optimum Design

A suitable use of software packages for optimization problems can give the possibility to formulate design problems of robotic mechanical systems by taking into account the several aspects and behaviors for optimum solutions both in design and operation. However, an important issue that can be even critical to obtain practical solutions, can be recognized in a proper identification and formulation of criteria for optimability purposes and numerical convergence feasibility. In this paper, we have reported experiences that have been developed at LARM in Cassino by referring to the above-mentioned issues of determining a design procedure for manipulators both of serial and parallel architectures. The optimality criteria are focused on the wellrecognized main aspects of workspace, singularity, and stiffness. Computational aspects are discussed to ensure numerical convergence to solutions that can be also of practical applications. In particular, optimality criteria and computational aspects have been elaborated by taking into account the peculiarity and constraint of each other. The general concepts and formulations are illustrated by referring to specific numerical examples with satisfactory results.