A Survey on the Parallel Robot Optimization

There are some key disadvantages associated with the parallel robots, which have impeded their wide application. To obtain a PR with good workspace properties, the design parameters of PR must be optimized. The optimal design of the general PRs´ kinematic parameters are classified into two categories which have been illustrated in this paper. In fact, the second kind of the optimal design is a more challenging task. The methods adopted by the researchers dedicated to the optimization are reviewed and presented in this paper. The optimal design problem is a constrained nonlinear optimization problem with no explicit analytical expression. Thus, several algorithms devised by the researchers to solve the problem are reviewed and compared in this paper. In fact, we always would like to invent the algorithm with fast convergent speed which can obtain the global optimal solution. At last, the future of the optimization work has been expected and summarized. This paper will be a useful instruction for the researchers who want to optimize the parallel robots.