Kinematics Simulation of Equivalent Models for Cable Manipulators

This paper introduces a systematic method of kinematics simulation analysis of a 6-DOF Cable Driven Parallel Manipulators (CDPM) with seven cables. One of the steps is to establish equivalent models of more CDPMs, and analyze the degrees of freedom of effective simulation models for these mechanisms by a traditional Grubler-Kutzbach (G-K) method, which validates the rationality of the equivalent models. Accordingly, kinematics simulations of 6-degrees of freedom CDPM are completed based on the effective method, and simulation results show the accuracy of the equivalent method advanced formerly. This study provides the foundations for dynamics simulation and control of this mechanism with cables as a substitute for rigid-links plus offering theoretical reference for the simulation of other CDPMs to simplify kinematics analysis.