Configuration engine for architecture planning of modular parallel robots

With the recent advances in research on parallel robots, the potential use of parallel manipulators has been expanding to both terrestrial and space applications including areas such as high speed manipulation, material handling, motion platforms, machine tools, medical fields, planetary exploration and so on. Therefore the need for methodologies for the systematic design of high performance parallel architecture manipulators increases. This article concentrates on the synthesis of parallel manipulators using a combination of genetic algorithm and simulated annealing optimization methods and a configuration engine capable of generating and designing different symmetric parallel manipulator architectures for a given task. Optimum parallel configurations are determined for a set of modular components, a specific task, and a set of criteria. The article also describes the application of the methodology as a design tool, and the results from a test case and a case study conducted with the program.