Global Indices for Kinematic and Force Transmission Performance in Parallel Robots

This paper defines, develops, and demonstrates new indices for quantifying kinematic and force transmission performance of parallel robotic mechanisms. Conventional indices are first analyzed and shown to be insufficient for characterizing common design specifications based on worst-case performance. New indices are then developed, analyzed, and extended to simply and intuitively quantify global worst-case kinematic and force performance. These new tools are then successfully applied to the design, optimization, and analysis of a linear delta robot for medical applications.