Homepage of

Dr. Xianwen Kong

 

 

 

 

EPSRC Project EP/I016333/1

Project Title: Creative Design of Parallel Manipulators with Multiple Operation Modes

 

 

1.   What is a Parallel Manipulators with Multiple Operation Mode (or disassembly-free reconfigurable manipulator)?

 

Have you ever seen or played a transformer? It is a mechanical system that can change function depending on the change of needs and usually has a simple mechanical structure.  

Parallel manipulators, like the flight simulators, generally have a complicated structure. Parallel Manipulators with Multiple Operation Modes is a system that can serve as several conventional parallel manipulators without disassembly and without the needs of additional actuators. This may help develop reconfigurable packaging/line manufacture system adapt rapidly to the change of production needs. Such manipulators can also be used to develop multifunction products as well as mechanically intelligent toys to develop children’s 3D think skills, which is one of the key skills for innovation.    

 

2.   The aims of the Project

 

The aim of this project is to provide a general frame work and development environment for the research and development of parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes. The concepts and methods will be evaluated through prototyping. There are four objectives of the work: 1) A systematic approach for the type synthesis of parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes; 2) Analysis and optimal design of parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes; 3) Approaches for reconfiguration of parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes and 4) Development of innovative parallel manipulators with two operational modes.

 

3.   Summary of Key findings

 

This project aims to explore a novel family of reconfigurable manipulators for rapid-change–over — parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes (PMMOMs) that need fewer actuators than other reconfigurable parallel manipulators and do not require disassembly for reconfiguration.

We have obtained solutions to the two challenges that are faced in developing PMMOMs: (a) the creative design of PMMOMs, and (b) the approaches for reconfiguring PMMOMs. A systematic approach and a framework have been developed for the design of innovative PMMOMs. A prototype has been built to validate the proposed approaches.

Firstly, we have developed a systematic approach to the creative design of PMMOMs by figuring out conditions that different types of uni-mode parallel manipulators may reach common configurations. Using this approach, we have identified several classes of PMMOMs including the one presented in our award-winning paper.

Secondly, we have carried out a systematic study in the analysis of PMMOMs using the algebraic geometry approach. All the theoretical operation modes can be identified for a given PMMOMs. Especially, we revealed for the first time a PMMOM that could switch among eight operation modes through one configuration. Through optimization of PMMOMs based on kinematic performance index, we have identified one PMMOM with potential application.

Thirdly, a systematic approach has been developed for the reconfiguration of PMMOMs. Using algebraic geometry method, the transition configurations can be identified for a given PMMOM. By further identifying the geometric characteristics of singular configurations, appropriate clutches/breaks can be applied to ensure the PMMOM can switch from one operation mode to another without using additional actuators.

Finally, we have developed and tested a physical prototype of a PMMOM with two operation modes. All the theoretical results described above have been verified using the prototype. The PMMOM can work as two conventional parallel manipulators each corresponding to one operation mode of the PMMOM. The integrated development environment we created using several commercial software packages is found to be efficient in developing PMMOMs.

4.   Animations and Videos

 

The following is a screen short of the first videos we created to show how the reconfigurable robot moves from a 3-DOF spatial mode to a transition configuration (left) and from a 3-DOF planar mode to a transition configuration.

 

 

 

This section is to be updated in due course. If you would like to visit my lab, please feel free to contact me at X.Kong@hw.ac.uk.

 

5.   Publications

 

(a) Published

      

1.   Kong, X., Type synthesis of partially decoupled 2-DOF parallel mechanisms with two 1T1R operational modes, Advances in Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots I, J. S. Dai, M. Zoppi and X. Kong (Eds), pp. 245-257, Springer, 2012.

2.   Ruggiu, M. and Kong, X., Mobility and kinematic analysis of a parallel mechanism with both PPR and planar operation modes. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 2012, 55: 77-90

3.   Kong, X., Type synthesis of variable degree-of-freedom parallel manipulators with both planar and 3T1R operation modes. Proceedings of ASME 2012 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2012-70621, Chicago, USA, August 12-15, 2012.

4.   Kong, X. and Johnson A., Classification of Screw Systems Composed of Three Planar Pencils of Line. Proceedings of ASME 2012 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2012-70636, Chicago, USA, August 12-15, 2012.

5.   Kong, X., Type synthesis of 3-DOF parallel manipulators with both planar and translational operation modes. Proceedings of ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2011-48510, Washington, USA, August 28-31, 2011.

6.   Kong, X., Yu, J., Gosselin, C.M., Geometric Interpretation of Singular Configurations of a Class of Parallel Manipulators. Proceedings of ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2011-48165, Washington, USA, August 28-31, 2011.

 

        (b) Accepted

 

1     Kong, X., Chablat, D., Caro, S., Yu J., and Gosselin, C., Type synthesis of kinematically redundant 3T1R parallel manipulators. Proceeding of the ASME 2013 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC) and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE), DETC2013-12575, August 4-7, 2013, Portland, USA.

2     Johnson A. and Kong, X., Determination Of The Workspace Of Parallel Manipulators Using A CAD Software And The Concept Of Virtual Chains.  The ASME 2013 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC) and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (CIE), DETC2013-12586, August 4-7, 2013, Portland, USA.

3     Kong, X., Type synthesis of 3-DOF parallel manipulators with both planar and translational operation modes. ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics (in revision)

 

(c) Submitted

 

     1. Kong, X., Reconfiguration analysis of a parallel mechanism with 15 operation modes. Submitted to Mechanism and Machine Theory (January 2013).

 2. Kong, X., Type synthesis of variable degree-of-freedom parallel manipulators with both planar and 3T1R operation modes. Submitted to ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics (April 2013)

 

Publications (currently in preparation)

 

1.   Kong, X. and Gosselin, Type Synthesis of Parallel Mechanisms: From Mono Operation Mode to Multiple Operation Modes (Second Edition), Springer (The first edition of this book (in English http://www.springer.com/engineering/robotics/book/978-3-540-71989-2 ) has recently been published in Russian (http://www.fml.ru/book/showbook/1500 ) and being published in Chinese) 

2.   Kong, X., Ewing, C., Siapalidis, C and Siapalidis, G., “Kinematic analysis of parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes using a virtual chain approach”

3.   Kong, X., Ewing, C., Siapalidis, C and Siapalidis, G., “Dynamic analysis of parallel manipulators with multiple operation modes using a virtual chain approach”

4.   Kong, X., “On the development of DIRECTOR: an innovative reconfigurable parallel manipulator” (DIRECTOR DIsassembly-free REConfigurable manipulaTOR).

 

7.   Dissemination

 

1.   Tutorial Presenter (with Prof Clement Gosselin), “Creative design of parallel mechanisms”, ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, DETC2011-48857, Washington, USA, August 28-31, 2011.

2.   Lecturer, “Type synthesis of parallel mechanisms” the International Summer School on Screw-Theory Based Methods in Robotics, September 2012, Italy.

3.   Poster presenter, “Complaint Parallel Manipulators and Disassembly-free Reconfigurable Parallel Manipulators,” James-Watt Institute - Innovative Manufacturing Research Conference: 2011 Agile Manufacturing Conference.

4.   Invited talk: “Creative design of parallel manipulators: from mono-operation mode to multi-operation modes”, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China, July 2012

5.   Invited talk: “Creative design of parallel manipulators: from mono-operation mode to multi-operation modes”, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, September 2012

 

Award

 

     1. Dr X Kong received the 2012 Freudenstein/General Motors Young Investigator Award at the 36th ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference held in Chicago, USA in August 2012

 

Follow-on Project

 

1.   Kong, X. (HWU-PI) and Dunnigan, M. (HWU-CI), “Miniature Flexible & Reconfigurable Manufacturing System for 3D Micro-products”, EP/K018345/1, EPSRC, £449k (part of a 2.1 million pounds EPSRC project led by Prof X Luo) to start from July 2013)