Generation and forward displacement analysis of two new classes of analytic 6‐SPS parallel manipulators

Analytic manipulators are manipulators with a characteristic polynomial of fourth degree or lower. Using the component approach to generate analytic 6‐SPS parallel manipulators (PMs), the generation process is reduced to the generation of analytic components for 6‐SPS PMs. Two new classes of analytic components for 6‐SPS PMs are generated at first. Then, two new classes, IX and X, of analytic 6‐SPS PMs are generated. The forward displacement analysis (FDA) of the new analytic 6‐SPS PMs is also performed. The FDA of the 6‐SPS PMs of class IX is reduced to the solution of one univariate cubic equation and two univariate quadratic equations, in sequence, while that of the 6‐SPS PMs of class X is reduced to the solution of three univariate quadratic equations in sequence. Both of the new analytic 6‐SPS PMs have at most eight assembly modes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.