Control of self-reconfigurable parallel robot by coupling open kinematic chains with unactuated joints

Abstract

This paper shows a self-reconfigurable planar parallel robot by coupling two 2R open kinematic chains, the first joints of which are unactuated. They can reconfigure to a 5R closed kinematic chain which has the same number of actuators as its degrees of freedom. They can also reconfigure to a 4R closed kinematic chain. We present a dynamic control for the open kinematic chain to move to a target position on the floor without making an impact.