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Torque Analysis of a Three Translational Degrees

of Freedom Parallel Manipulator
CONFERENCE PAPER MAY 2013

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Ubaldo Garca-Zaragoza

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Saint Thomas University

Leibniz Universitt Hannover

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VI Congreso Internacional de Ingeniera Mecnica

y IV de Ingeniera Mecatrnica
IV Congreso Internacional de Materiales, Energa y Medio Ambiente
Bogot, Colombia.
2, 3 y 4 de mayo del 2013

Torque Analysis of a Three Translational Degrees of Freedom

Parallel Manipulator
Ubaldo Garca*, Daniel Ramrez, Jorge Garca
*Universidad Santo Tomas,
ubaldogarcia@usantotomas.edu.co
Universidad Santo Tomas,
jorgegarcia@usantotomas.edu.co
Universidad Santo Tomas,
danielramirez@usantotomas.edu.co

ABSTRACT
This work aims to show in an understandable way the mathematics involved in the torque analysis
of a three translational degrees of freedom parallel manipulator and developed a digital prototype
where these equations can be evaluated before those are implemented in a controller and used in a
delta robot prototype. Furthermore, this project gives a huge opportunity to the robotics area since
parallel robots in contrast to serial robots are under development and there still many interrogates
and problems to solve such as the development of controllers and the mathematical models of its
dynamics. Initially, the inverse kinematic of the manipulator will be calculated using the geometric
approach because it offers an easy and precise way to develop the mathematical model that
represents how the actuators respond, when it moves along a path. Then, using the Lagrangian
approach where a systems analysis can be considerably simplify by using generalized coordinates
will be used to determine the torque and power required in the actuators of the parallel manipulator
for a specific path during a period of time. Finally, it will be compared and discussed the results
obtained in both, the mathematical model and dynamic simulation in order to validate the digital
prototype and select the appropriate motors based on the torque values for a specific configuration.

Key words: Cinemtica Inversa (Forward Kinematics), Dinmica (Dynamics), espacio de trabajo
(workspace), Mobilidad (Mobility), Robot Paralelo (Parallel Robot), Sobre restricciones
(Overconstraints), Torque (Torque).

3
1.2

Manipulator Mobility

When it comes the time to analyze how a delta robot moves and works, it is necessary to take into
account some concepts such as mobility, connectivity and over constraints. Mobility refers to the
number of independent joint parameters required to determine the motion of all links of the
mechanism. The manipulator has m = 17 links including the fixed base represented as circles in
k
figure 2 and p f 21 which is the total of degrees of freedom of all constraints in the

i 1

manipulator, where k is the number of complex limbs of the mechanism equals to three and fi is the
number of degrees of freedom associated to the constraint i. The mobility of a parallel mechanism
k
must be calculated applying the next formula: M f r , where r is the number of joint parameters

i 1

that have lost their independence after closing the loops. To calculate the value of r it is necessary
to include the term of Connectivity which indicates the number of relative independent freedoms
between two links of a mechanism and can be calculated applying the next formula:
S f dim( RG1 R 2 ...RGk ) 3 ,where RG is the vector space of relative velocities between the extreme
links in the kinematic chain.

Figure 2: Delta Parallel manipulator: Structural diagram and associated graph.

r f i S f (7 7 7) 3 18

(1)

i 1

M f i r 21 18 3

(2)

i 1

Finally, the number of over constraints of a mechanism is given by the difference between the
number of kinematic constraints introduced by the joints of the mechanism before and after closing
the loops of the mechanism. The number of over constraints of a parallel mechanism can be
obtained applying the next formula: N 6 j r , where j is the number of independent loops that can
be calculated using this formula j p m 1 .

j 21 17 1 5

(3)

N 6* j r 6*5 18 12

(4)

MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1

Manipulator Inverse Kinematics using Geometric approach

The geometric method presented in this section specifies the inverse kinematics of the manipulators
in terms of vectors, instead of arm equations, and employs reasoning about geometric variables
such length and Pythagoras difference, instead of algebraic calculations. In this case the geometric
method must be followed by some conditionals which depend on the position of the coordinate Pxi.
In this approach 3 different cases have been identified in order to solve the angles of the actuators
when the moving platform moves along a path.

a)

b)

c)

Figure 3: Geometric considerations a) 0 Pxi rA , b) 0 Pxi rA , c) 0 Pxi rA

L (rA Pxi ) 2 Pzi ) 2 , 1* tan 1 (

First case

Pzi
),
(rA Pxi )

L2 l22 (l1Ci ) 2
C
, qi ( )
2 Ll2

(5)

L (abs ( Pxi ) rA) 2 ( Pzi ) 2 , 1* tan 1 (

Second case

Pzi
),
(abs ( Pxi ) rA)

L2 l22 (l1Ci ) 2
C
, qi ( )
2 Ll2

(6)

L ( Pxi rA) 2 ( Pzi ) 2 , 1* tan 1 (

Third case

( Pxi rA)
),
Pzi

L2 l22 (l1Ci ) 2

C
, qi ( )
2 Ll2
2

(7)

2.2

Manipulator Torque Analysis

To implement the Lagrange approach in the delta robot dynamics calculations we must define the
generalized coordinates. As it was mention in the section of mobility section, the robot has 3
degrees of freedom and 12 overconstraints. From the lagrange based formulation it is required only
3 generalized coordinates according to the 3 degrees of freedom obtained; however, because of
overconstraining the position of the end effector must be expressed by six generalized coordinates
Cx, Cy, Cz, q1, q2 and q3 to calculate the manipulator dynamics [26].

Figure 4: Schematic of the manipulator dynamic analysis

As seen in equation 8, a constraint function gi is required in order to solve the torque values. It will
be used the constraint formed by the parallelograms joint since its length l1 will be equal at any time
see figure 4.

d L

dt qk

k
L
gi

k
qk
i 1
qk

gi Bi Pi l12 ( Pxi Bxi ) 2 ( Pyi Byi ) 2 ( Pzi Bzi ) 2 0

(8)

(9)

Note that the mass of the parallelogram loop is divided evenly at points Bi and Pi as shown in figure
4 in order to simplify the model without affecting the results. Since, the parallelogram loops does not
play an important role in the dynamics because the rods can be made light enough being massless
compared to the rest of the manipulator [24]. The kinetic energy of the manipulator can be
expressed as in equation 10 where Tc represents the kinetic energy of the end effector, Tl1i the
kinetic energy of the parallelogram loop i, and Tl2i the kinetic energy of the input link and the rotor
on the parallelogram loop i.
3

1
mc (C x2 C y2 C z2 )
2
i 1
1
1
1
1
Tl 2i (ml 2i l22 ml 2i l22 )qi2 , Tl1i ml1i (C x2 C y2 C z2 ) ml1i l22 qi2
2
3
2
2
T Tc (Tl 2i Tl1i ), Tc

(10)

The potential energy of the manipulator can be computed relative to the ground floor as shown in
figure 4, where Vc is the potential energy of the end effector, Vl1i is the potential energy of the
parallelogram loop i, and Vl2i is the potential energy of the input link on the parallelogram loop i.
3
1
V Vc (Vl 2i Vl1i ), Vc mc g ( H l Sqi )
2 2i
i 1
1
Vl 2i ml 2i gH ml 2i gl2i Sqi ,Vl1i 2ml1i gH ml1i gC z ml1i gl2 Sqi
2

(11)

The Lagrangian function which is the difference between the system kinetic energy see equation 12
and its potential energy see equation 13 can be computed using this formula L = T-V.

Tc

1
1
1
(mc 3ml1 )(C x2 C y2 C z2 ) (ml 2l22 ml 2l22 ml1l22 )(q12 q22 q32 )
2
2
3

(12)

1
V mc gH 6ml1 gH 3ml 2 gH (mc g ml1 g )C z ( ml 2 gl2 ml1 gl2 )( Sq1 Sq2 Sq3 ) (13)
2
In order to obtain the Lagrange multipliers values it is necessary to set 3 equations to find = 1 to 3
by employing the derivatives of the constraint function (9). Also, the equation 8 will be used, note
that the term Qk is equal to zero since there are not external forces applying to the end effector and
the joints at Bi are passive.

d L

dt C x

d L
dt C y

d L

dt C z

Cx
L

Cy
L

Cz

g1
Cx

g1
Cy

g1
C
z

g2
Cx
g2
Cy
g2
Cz

g2

Cx
1
g3
2
C y
3
g3
Cz

(14)

Finally, once the Lagrange multipliers are computed, the torque values in the actuators can be
calculated by using equation 8 where Qk represents the torque imposed by the actuators.

g
g
g
1 1 2 2 3 3
q1
q1
q1
g
g
d L L g1
1
1
2 2 3 3

dt q2 q2 q2
q2
q2
1

d L L

dt q1 q1

g
g
d L L g1
1
2 2 3 3

dt q3 q3 q3
q3
q3

(15)

7
3

RESULTS

For all simulations the parameters in figure 1 will be set as: =0, 120,240 Degrees, High= 362.5
mm, Fixed Base Radius 80 mm, Input Joint Length=100 mm, Parallel Joint Length= 275 mm, End
Effector radius= 40 mm, Input Joint mass= 0.115 Kg, Parallel Joint mass=0.047 Kg and End
Effector mass = 0.06 Kg.

3.1

Circle Path

It was generated a trajectory, where a 36 sides polygon circumscribed in a circle of radio 120 mm at
a z value of -230 mm was drawn. This move allows the user to observe the dynamics of the
manipulator as it moves in the area covered by the conveyor belts as shown in figure 5. Similarly, it
guarantees that the manipulator will reach any piece over the conveyor belts while working.

Figure 5: Manipulator GUI circles path torque values.

Once the motors angles were calculated, the torque values of each motor are computed in a
Matlab GUI as shown in figure 5. The maximum torque calculated was 265.8 Nmm and the
maximum speed was 0.12 rps giving a required power of 0.033 watts. Likewise, the motors angles
were used to move the actuators in the dynamic simulation in Autodesk Inventor to get results
shown in figure 6. In the dynamic simulation, the torques values in the actuators were calculated for
the given path obtaining a maximum torque of 317 Nmm and a maximum speed was 0.11 rps giving
a required power of 0.034 watts, which agree with the mathematical model.

Figure 6: Manipulator digital prototype circle path torque values.

a)

b)

c)

d)

Figure 6: Circle path comparative of all actuators torque values and relative errors of all actuators.
It can be appreciated that the torque values in figure 6a, 6b and 6c are affected when the actuator
rapidly changes its direction. Note, that there are 3 or 2 times when it happens: at the beginning, in
the middle and at the end. Thus, the torque values calculated for the actuators using the Lagrangian
model displays a maximum relative error of 2% with respect to the torques calculated in the
dynamic simulation, when the direction does not change, as shown in figure 6. The relative error
values for the three actuators are shown in figure 6d. From this values it can be said that the results
obtained for the circular path have a maximum relative error of 2% except those where a rapid
change of the actuator exist.

DISCUSSION

To sum up, the Lagrangian model and the dynamic simulation display a very close agreement
although there are small differences between the two results. Besides, another factor that can
concern is the assumption where the mass of the parallelogram loop is concentrated at points Bi
and Pi shown in figure 1. However, this closed agreement helps to validate and generate more
confidence for using the digital prototype as the basis for selecting the actuators to be used in the
manipulator. It also generates confidence for using the Lagrangian model for a computed torque
control scheme due to the less time required to calculate the actuator torques. The research
presented in this paper gives a powerful tool to engineers and researches at the time of designing
both the mechanical elements in the manipulator and the design of controllers. The study of this
manipulator dynamics, it still requires more development in the Lagrangian formulation. It is
required to implement the friction forces acting in the joints in order to get a better result of its
dynamics. Also, the analysis of the manipulator dexterity and the development of trajectory
generation program based on optimization and planning effective trajectories will help to determine
better results of the manipulator torque values.

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project was developed at the Mechanical Engineering Labs at the Universidad Santo Tomas
and was economically supported through the FODEIN-USTA internal call 2011. This project was
conceived by the GEAMEC research group and developed by the students research group MAIR.

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