Analysis on workspace of quasi 7-DOF robot based on SG chamber constraint

A novel 6R robot under the help of propulsion plant enters into quarter-spherical chamber of steam generator (SG) with seven axes moving. It is fixed on the tube sheet depending on cam locks of its one end, and then its other end departs from the propulsion plant and operates with tools. The determination of feasible setting area is absolutely necessary for operation planning, which is a problem of workspace analysis involving complicated obstacles and end-effecter pose constraints. The paper divided these constraints into three categories: independent joint variable constraints, inequality constraints and equality constraints, and gave the general expression of constrained workspace; provided a numerical method based on random probability to solve the constrained workspace; concluded the feasible setting area of installation and solved the practical problem of engineering.