Dynamics Modelling of Large Suspended Parallel Cable-driven Robots

Abstract

This paper proposes a multibody approach to model and simulate the dynamics of\nlarge cable robot, considering hefty cables. Each cable is discretized into finite rigid segments\ninterconnected by ball joints including small stiffness and damping effects. This finite-segment\nmodel also involves the development of a simple winding model to transfer the mass of the first\ntranslating segment onto the rotating drum. The choice of the required number of segments to\nuse is a key issue that is also discussed in this work. This discussion is based on the comparison\nof ten models involving one to ten segments per cable regarding their static equilibria, their\nbehavior when the platform is elevated and their eigen frequencies. Finally, an application is\nproposed to simulate the control of the chosen model. An existing quasi-static analytical model\nis also used for comparison and to devise the control strategy.