A Calibration Framework for Deployable Cable Driven Parallel Robots with Flexible Cables

Abstract

Due to their simple and inexpensive structures, suspended cable driven parallel robots are suitable choices for many real-world applications. However, only when the accurate kinematic parameters are available, can we control the robot to the best of its abilities. This is specially a stringent requirement for fast deployable cable driven robots. With the aim of addressing these needs, in this paper we propose an effective framework for calibrating the kinematic parameters of suspended cable driven parallel robots with no requirements for expensive tools and measurement devices. Moreover, the proposed algorithm utilizes the existing force sensors in the cable robot to nominate the best set of data for calibration. The integrity and effectiveness of this framework is reported through simulation and practical experiments, which verifies promising horizons for deployable real-world applications.