Optimal arrangement of base frame of a hydro-actuated dual-arm robot

摘要

This paper reports a work-in-progress result on the design of a hydro-actuated dual-arm manipulator for conducting various tasks in disaster sites. While the hydraulic actuators generally provide high load capacity, are limited in range of motion (generally smaller than 110°), thus its spatial arrangement significantly affect the kinematic performance of the manipulator. In this paper, authors particularly focus on the arrangement of base frame of each arm in order to maximize the kinematic performance with respect to overall dual-arm and single-arm tasks. Using two design parameters, (i) default yawing angle of the base joint of the manipulator and (ii) lateral distance between two arms, the arrangement of the manipulator is optimized using a workspace based performance index, PTCWA (Product of Total and Common Workspace Area).