Dynamic and stable reconfiguration of self-reconfigurable planar parallel robots

Abstract

This paper discusses dynamic and stable reconfigurations of self-reconfigurable planar parallel robots that can be done by coupling and decoupling of two underactuated robots on a horizontal plane. The limbs of the parallel robots are 2R open kinematic chains with their second joints unactuated. Two types of self-reconfigurable parallel robots are considered. One is formed by two limbs, and the other is by a limb and an underactuated robot consisting of two limbs and a platform. Uncertainty singularities enable them to self-reconfigure without additional actuators at their coupling mechanism. In this paper, we propose dynamic contact motion control to move them from an initial contact configuration to an uncertainty singular configuration while maintaining their contact. This paper also considers dynamic stability at their uncertainty singularities as equilibrium and shows that there exist geometrically stable configurations without feedback control, which are useful for decoupling. Experiments with real robots are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the dynamic contact motion control and stability analysis.