平面并联机构工作空间的三维螺旋扫描CAD求解

针对平面并联机构无奇异位置工作空间求解困难、过程繁琐、计算量大等问题，提出了基于CAD求解平面并联机构工作空间的三维螺旋扫描方法。将[n]自由度平面并联机构分解成[n]条支链进行独立分析，得到每条支链下末端执行器的可达区域，再将所有支链可达区域取交集即为平面并联机构工作空间。应用SolidWorks软件建立平面并联机构模型，进行几何特征处理，通过自动求解器求解，将求解过程图形化，快速得到同轴布局5R机构和平面3-RPR并联机构的无奇异位置工作空间。通过同轴布局5R机构的运动学实验，验证了该求解方法的可行性。     

Dynamic equipment workspace generation for improving earthwork safety using real-time location system

Earthwork equipment accounts for a large proportion of the fatalities on construction sites. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the period between 1992 and 2002, struck by vehicles and struck by objects (e.g., vehicle parts, vehicle loads, or falling vehicles) were identified as the causes of 30% and 24% of fatal equipment-related accidents on excavations sites, respectively. It is therefore of a paramount importance to improve the safety of construction sites by increasing the peripheral awareness of the operators of earthwork equipment. Several research works have investigated numerous collision avoidance systems that exploit real-time location systems and proximity measurements to mitigate the risk of accidents on excavation sites. However, these systems often detect collisions based on using the workspaces that only account for the geometry and the degrees of freedom of the equipment, and thus disregard the state-dependent characteristics of equipment. This results in reserving a large space for every piece of equipment, which reduces the applicability of these systems in congested sites. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method for generating dynamic equipment workspaces based on the continuous monitoring of a spectrum of equipment-related information, i.e., the current pose/state of the equipment, and the speed characteristics of each movement. This method uses the required operation stoppage time to determine how much space needs to be reserved for each piece of equipment. A case study is conducted to validate the proposed method. It is shown that the proposed method has a strong potential in capturing the hazardous areas around the equipment and triggering warnings in view of the impending movements of various pieces of equipment. Also, the proposed method proved to have potential applications in actual projects in congested sites where space is limited.     

Is activity-based working impacting health,work performance and perceptions? A systematic review

ABSTRACT

Numerous claims have been made about the benefits of activity-based working (ABW) on workers’ health and work performance. Yet, it is unclear if these claims are proven. This systematic review aims to establish whether there is an evidence base for the effects of ABW on health, work performance and perceptions of the work environment. Eight databases were searched in September 2016. Three reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed the studies and extracted the data. Seventeen studies involving 36,039 participants were included. The study designs varied in rigorousness from qualitative studies to pre–post-trials and in sample size ranging from 12 to 11,799. This review found that ABW has positive merits in the areas of interaction, communication, control of time and space, and satisfaction with the workspace; however, it is unfavourable for concentration and privacy. For physical and mental health, the evidence is equivocal. ABW seems to be a promising concept that can be implemented and promoted based on some benefits for work performance and perceptions of the work environment when it is coupled with appropriate management support and organization. More high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence base further and establish its health effects.     

生物检测机器人操作臂工作空间分析与尺度优化

研究一种具有正交关节轴的6R操作臂工作空间分析与尺度优化方法,用于指导危险环境下生物检测机器人上装机械臂的工作范围和结构尺度优化。分析6R操作臂拓扑结构并建立其位移逆解模型,通过考察各关节尺度参数与转角变化范围的组合,揭示出可达工作空间随操作臂主要构件尺度参数与关节转角范围的变化规律,从而得到一种最佳的关节转角范围组合,进而建立一种操作臂任务空间的快速计算方法。在此基础上,以特征长度法和计权Frobenius范数构造的归一化速度雅可比矩阵条件数的倒数为性能评价指标,综合出一组最优操作臂结构尺度参数,并得到该条件下操作臂末端的可达工作空间和任务空间。该方法具有工作空间分析直观,结构参数优化快速等优点,可使这类操作臂获得良好的运动学性能。     

工作空间测量定位系统加权问题研究

工作空间测量定位系统(workspace Measuring and Positioning System,简称wMPS)是一种基于旋转激光扫描平面定位技术的室内大尺寸定位系统。它可实现计量精度的三维坐标测量,主要应用于制造加工及装配领域。作为一种分布式系统,工作空间测量定位系统也存在着为不同测量节点分配权重的问题。考虑到在定位过程中误差的复杂性,提出一种根据不同测量区域,利用统计数据对不同测量节点动态分配权重的分权方法。为验证此方法,设计了对比实验,实验结果表明:文中提出的加权方法可显著提高工作空间测量定位系统的测量精度。     

A multilevel calibration technique for an industrial robot with parallelogram mechanism

This paper presents a multilevel calibration technique for improving the absolute accuracy of an industrial robot with a parallelogram mechanism (ABB IRB2400). The parallelogram structural error is firstly modeled based on the partial differential of the position function of a general four-bar linkage and the linearization of the position constraints of the parallelogram mechanism, the model coefficients are fitted from experimental data. Secondly, an absolute kinematic calibration model is established and resolved as a linear function of all the kinematic parameters, as well as the base frame parameters and tool parameters. Finally, contrary to most other similar works, the robot joint space (rather than Cartesian space) is divided into a sequence of fan-shaped cells in order to compensate the non-geometric errors, the positioning errors on the grid points are measured and stored for the error compensation on the target points. After the multilevel calibration, the maximum/mean point positioning errors on 284 tested configurations (evenly distributed in the robot common workspace) are reduced from 1.583/0.420 mm to 0.172/0.066 mm respectively, which is almost the same level as the robot bidirectional repeatability.     

Optimization of a planar tendon-driven parallel manipulator for a maximal dextrous workspace

In this article, new methodologies for determining the tension distribution and optimal configurations of planar tendon-driven parallel manipulators (TDPMs) are presented. TDPMs are characterized by the use of cables in place of the linear actuators used in most parallel manipulators. Three separate, but inter-related topics are examined in this article, and methodologies for addressing them are proposed. The first is the determination of cable forces for overconstrained tendon-driven manipulators, which is necessary in order to address the second topic, namely, the development of a methodology for workspace determination of tendon-driven manipulators. The final topic examined is the dimensional synthesis of tendon-driven manipulators for a large dextrous workspace. The numerical methodologies developed here have potential for easy application to more complex spatial cases.     

Extreme reaches and maximal reachable workspace for rotary tools mounted on a Stewart platform manipulator

Abstract

A new type of problem associated with the extreme reaches of the Stewart platform manipulator is dealt with in this paper. Given a specified orientation of the tool axis, the problem involves finding the extreme distance that the tool bit mounted on the mobile platform can reach from its home position along any specified direction. During the motion, the mobile platform is allowed to be rotated about the tool axis to adjust the configuration of the driving mechanism to prevent premature activation of the kinematic constraints. A numerical optimization algorithm based on the concept of the cyclic coordinate descent method is developed for solving this problem, in which all three types of kinematic constraints, namely the actuator stroke constraint, the passive joint limitations, and the link interference conditions, have been taken into account. In addition, a numerical example is presented to demonstrate the ability of the proposed method to find the optimal reachable workspace of the robot.     

PowerCube模块化机器人工作空间计算

以PowerCube模块化机器人为对象,采用D-H法建立机器人运动学数学模型.在比较现有的机器人工作空间求解方法的基础上,分别利用解析法和数值法绘制和计算出机器人的工作空间.将2个图形进行对比,结果表明2种方法所得的结果是一致的.     

Revolute manipulator workspace optimization using a modified bacteria foraging algorithm: A comparative study

Robotic manipulators with three-revolute (3R) motions to attain desired positional configurations are very common in industrial robots. The capability of these robots depends largely on the workspace of the manipulator in addition to other parameters. In this study, an evolutionary optimization algorithm based on the foraging behaviour of the Escherichia coli bacteria present in the human intestine is utilized to optimize the workspace volume of a 3R manipulator. The new optimization method is modified from the original algorithm for faster convergence. This method is also useful for optimization problems in a highly constrained environment, such as robot workspace optimization. The new approach for workspace optimization of 3R manipulators is tested using three cases. The test results are compared with standard results available using other optimization algorithms, i.e. the differential evolution algorithm, the genetic algorithm and the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The present method is found to be superior to the other methods in terms of computational efficiency.