Workspace Analysis of Reconfigurable Robotic Arms Using Parallel Platforms as Modules

1 Research Associate, ASME Member. 2 Associate Professor, ASME Member, Author for Correspondence. ABSTRACT In this paper the workspace analysis of reconfigurable hyper-redundant robotic arms using as modules lower mobility parallel platforms is presented. The modules of the reconfigurable robotic arm are the 3-legged translational UPU and orientational UPS parallel platforms. Each arm is composed of a large number of these modules having a very large number of degrees of freedom. New performance indices to characterize the workspace of such arms are defined and used to analyze their different configurations. Results of this analysis are presented in table and graphic forms and the corresponding best designs are identified. All possible arm assembly configurations with two, three, and four parallel platform modules and one configuration with five parallel platform modules have been taken into consideration, analyzed and compared.