Design of a New <i>XY</i> Compliant Parallel Manipulator Based on Deployable Spatial Monolithic Structure
Zekui Lyu, Qingsong Xu
Abstract
This article presents the design of a new <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">XY</i> compliant parallel manipulator, which features a deployable spatial configuration and monolithic structure. Inspired by the deployable mechanism, the manipulator is devised based on a four-prismatic–prismatic parallel mechanism by considering the manufacturability and functionality of the monolithic structure. Analytical models are established based on the compliance matrix method, pseudorigid-body model, and Lagrangian equations to calculate the driving stiffness and resonant frequency. After determining the structural parameters, a finite-element analysis simulation study has been conducted to verify the derived analytical models and to compare the performances of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">XY</i> stages with planar and spatial configurations. Moreover, a prototype of the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">XY</i> manipulator is fabricated, and experimental tests are performed to assess its open-loop and closed-loop performances. The results reveal that the developed monolithic <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">XY</i> manipulator has relatively balanced performances of planar size, working stroke, area ratio, parasitic coupling, and static vertical loading.