25 accepted papers
A kinematically redundant (6+3)-degree-of-freedom (DOF) hybrid parallel robot with an axisymmetric workspace is proposed. By arranging the first revolute joint of each leg such that they have the same rotation axis, this robot can achieve an axisymmetric workspace, resulting in a large reachable wor…
This letter presents a backdrivable (4+1)-degree-of-freedom SCARA parallel robot including a remotely operated gripper with unlimited rotation for intuitive sensorless low-impedance physical human-robot interaction. The kinematic modelling of the robot is first recalled and the novel remotely operat
Unlike parallel robots, for which hundreds of different architectures have been proposed, the vast majority of six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) serial robots have one of two simple architectures. In both architectures, the inverse kinematics can be solved in closed form and the singularities described by…
This letter presents a method enabling intuitive physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) with flexible robots using an end-point sensing device. The device is a passive serial chain of encoders and lightweight links, mounted in parallel with the manipulator. By measuring the deflection of the end-ef
A novel kinematically redundant 6+1-degree-of-freedom (dof) spatial hybrid parallel robot is proposed. Each of the two legs of the robot has a fully parallel structure to minimize the moving inertia by mounting actuators on the base. The kinematic model of each leg and overall robot architecture is…
Robots need to adapt their behaviour while physically interacting with an operator to guarantee safety and provide intuitiveness. Inferring the intentions of the operator is a challenging problem that can be addressed by introducing sensors, in addition to motor encoders. Also, kinematic redundancy…
A novel kinematically redundant (6+36+3) -DoF parallel robot is presented in this paper. Three identical 3-DoF RU/2-RUS legs are attached to a configurable platform through spherical joints. With the selected leg mechanism, the motors are mounted at the base, reducing the reflected inertia. The robo…
This paper presents reorientation manoeuvres applied to an omnidirectional wheeled robot for impact mitigation during short falls. The proposed robot architecture aims to build upon recent innovations in reorientation robots to attain fast, multi-axis reorientation. Indeed, the use of omnidirectiona…
The design of underactuated fingers using rolling contact joints is addressed in this article in order to increase performance in robotic and prosthetic hands applications. Rolling contact joints have proven to be a promising alternative to revolute joints by increasing the range of motion, introduc
This paper presents an alternative impedance controller for a macro-mini robotic system in which the mini robot is unactuated. The approach is verified experimentally on a simple two-degree-of-freedom macro-mini robot. The dynamic analysis of the robot is first presented. Then, a standard impedance…
This paper investigates the design of a three-degree-of-freedom rotational inertia generator using the gyroscopic effect to provide ungrounded torque feedback. It uses a rotating mass in order to influence the torques needed to move the device, creating a perceived inertia. The dynamic model and the…
This paper presents a trajectory optimization formulation for planning dynamic trajectories of a six-degree-of-freedom (six-DOF) cable-suspended parallel robot (CSPR) that extend beyond the static workspace. The optimization is guided by low-dimensional dynamic models to overcome the local minima an…
Parallel robots with configurable platforms (PRCPs) combine the benefits of parallel robots with additional functionalities such as grasping and cutting. However, some of the theoretical tools used to study classical parallel robots do not apply to parallel robots with configurable platforms. This p…
This paper presents a novel sensing approach for the physical interaction between a human user and a serial robotic arm. The approach is inspired from the concept of macro-mini robot architecture. The framework is developed for a general multi-degree-of-freedom serial robot and a corresponding imped…
This letter introduces a prototype of a haptic interface designed to produce a realistic human-robot handshake. Inspired by the human hand anatomy, a new robotic hand designed to achieve a realistic palm compliance and finger grasping is presented. As the system is backdrivable, a position-controlle
A novel 3-[R(RR-RRR)SR] kinematically redundant 6+3-degree-of-freedom (dof)spatial hybrid parallel robot with revolute actuators is proposed. The kinematic model is developed based on the constraint conditions of the robot. It is shown that the type II (parallel) singularities can be completely avoi…
The rotational workspace of a parallel manipulator is mainly limited by type II singularities. In this letter, we present an approach to synthesize three-legged planar <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX"
This paper presents an anticipative robot kinematic limitation avoidance algorithm for collaborative robots. The main objective is to improve the performance and the intuitivity of physical human-robot interaction. Currently, in such interactions, the human user must focus on the task as well as on…
This paper presents a novel robotic hand design that aims at producing a realistic human-robot handshake. A standard characteristic model of the human-palm compliance is developed based on human hand anatomy and an empirical study. Based on this model a realistic palm-compliance rendering is impleme…
Recently, robotics has been seen as a key solution to improve the quality of life of amputees. In order to create smarter robotic prosthetic devices to be used in an everyday context, one must be able to interface them seamlessly with the end-user in an inexpensive, yet reliable way. In this paper,…
This paper presents an anticipative robot kinematic limitation avoidance algorithm for collaborative robots. The main objective is to improve the performance and the intuitivity of the physical human-robot interaction. One obstacle to achieve this goal is the management of limitations such as joint…
This paper presents a method to reorient a free-floating serial manipulator using internal motion based on a path planning algorithm using a dynamic model of the manipulator and a potential function. Simulations with the proposed algorithm are performed using a nonlinear optimization technique in or
When a robot manipulator is designed to interact with a human being, performance is often compromised due to safety constraints. The interaction becomes thus less responsive and less intuitive, making the use of such robots difficult to implement in an industrial context. This letter revisits the co
As demonstrated by the exceptionally successful Delta robot, parallel kinematics Schönflies motion generators (PKSMG) exhibit several advantages over their serial counterparts. Despite its success, the Delta robot suffers from several shortcomings, including a bulky framework and a small workspace-t
This paper presents the design of a locomotion interface for gait simulation and interaction with a virtual environment. The proposed mechanical interface is based on two planar two-degree-of-freedom belt-driven mechanisms which fully decouple the vertical and horizontal motion of two supporting foo…