KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF TRICEPT PARALLEL MANIPULATOR

Parallel manipulators consist of fixed and moving platforms connected to each other with some actuated links. They have some significant advantages over their serial counterparts. While, they suffer from relatively small workspaces, complex kinematics relations and highly singular points within their workspaces. In this paper, forward kinematics of Tricept parallel manipulator is solved analytically and its workspace optimization is performed. This parallel manipulator has a complex degree of freedom, therefore leads to dimensional in-homogeneous Jacobian matrices. Thus, we divide some entries of the Jacobian by units of length, thereby producing a new Jacobian that is dimensionally homogeneous. Moreover, its workspace is parameterized using some design parameters. Then, using GA method, the workspace is optimized subjects to some geometric constraints. Finally, dexterity of the design is evaluated.