Mechanism for Planar Manipulation With Simplified Kinematics

The figure schematically illustrates three manipulator mechanisms for positioning an end effector (a robot hand or other object) in a plane (which would ordinarily be horizontal). One of these is a newer, improved mechanism that includes two coaxial, base-mounted rotary actuators incorporated into a linkage that is classified as "P4R" in the discipline of kinematics of mechanisms because it includes one prismatic (P) joint and four revolute (R) joints. The improved mechanism combines the advantages of coaxial base mounting (as opposed to noncoaxial and/or nonbase mounting) of actuators, plus the advantages of closed-loop (as opposed to open-loop) linkages in such a way as to afford a simplification (in comparison with other linkages) of inverse kinematics. Simplification of the kinematics reduces the computational burden incurred in controlling the manipulator.