Configurable platforms bring a research field to expand the attributes of parallel manipulators. This work is devoted to investigate the kinematics of a nine-degrees-of-freedom parallel manipulator whose active kinematic pairs are located near to the fixed platform, and it is equipped with a 6-R configurable platform. The mobility of the proposed 9-UPUR{6R} configurable parallel manipulator is such that it is possible to manipulate the kinematics of a grasping triangle associated to the configurable platform. The theory of screws is systematically applied to solve the direct and inverse infinitesimal kinematics of the manipulator. As an intermediate step, the displacement analysis is approached by means of algebraic geometry. The contribution is complemented with numerical examples to illustrate the versatility of the method of kinematic analysis.

In this work a simple method to solve the kinematics of the 5-R$\underbar{P}$UR parallel manipulator is introduced. Dealing with the displacement analysis, the kinematic constraint equations required to address the forward–inverse displacement analysis are established according to linear combinations of two vectors attached to the moving platform. Then, besides the solution of the inverse displacement analysis two strategies are proposed in order to solve the forward position analysis. Finally, the input–output equations of velocity and acceleration are systematically obtained by resorting to reciprocal-screw theory. Numerical examples are provided with the purpose to illustrate the proposed method. Furthermore, the numerical results obtained by means of screw theory are confirmed with the aid of commercially available software.

In this paper, we study the kinematic effects of number of legs in 6-DOF UPS parallel manipulators. A group of 3-, 4-, and 6-legged mechanisms are evaluated in terms of the kinematic performance indices, workspace, singular configurations, and forward kinematic solutions. Results show that the optimum number of legs varies due to priorities in kinematic measures in different applications. The non-symmetric Wide-Open mechanism enjoys the largest workspace, while the well-known Gough–Stewart (3–3) platform retains the highest dexterity. Especially, the redundantly actuated 4-legged mechanism has several important advantages over its non-redundant counterparts and different architectures of Gough–Stewart platform. It has dramatically less singular configurations, a higher manipulability, and at the same time less sensitivity. It is also shown that the forward kinematic problem has 40, 16, and 1 solution(s), respectively for the 6-, 3-, and the 4-legged mechanisms. Superior capabilities of the 4-legged mechanism make it a perfect candidate to be used in more challenging 6-DOF applications in assembly, manufacturing, biomedical, and space technologies.

This paper introduces a novel 6-DOF parallel manipulator, which is composed of two 3-RUS parallel manipulators that share a common three-dimensional moving platform. Semi-analytical form solutions are easily obtained to solve the forward displacement analysis of the robot using the non-planar geometry of the moving platform, whereas the velocity, acceleration, and singularity analyses are performed using screw theory. A case study is included to show the application of the kinematic model, which is verified with the aid of a commercially available software. Simple kinematic analysis and reduced singular regions are the main benefits of the proposed parallel manipulator.

This study addresses the kinematics of a six-degrees-of-freedom parallel manipulator whose moving platform is a regular triangular prism. The moving and fixed platforms are connected to each other by means of two identical parallel manipulators. Simple forward kinematics and reduced singular regions are the main benefits offered by the proposed parallel manipulator. The Input–Output equations of velocity and acceleration are systematically obtained by resorting to reciprocal-screw theory. A case study, which is verified with the aid of commercially available software, is included with the purpose to exemplify the application of the method of kinematic analysis.

In this work, a new translational robot formed with two different parallel manipulators with a common control point is introduced. An asymmetric parallel manipulator provides three translational degrees of freedom to the proposed robot while the orientation of the end-effector platform is kept constant by means of a Delta-like manipulator. An exact solution is easily derived to solve the forward displacement analysis while a semi-closed form solution is available for solving the inverse displacement analysis. The infinitesimal kinematics of the robot is approached by applying the theory of screws. Finally, a numerical example that consists of solving the inverse/forward displacement analysis as well as the forward acceleration analysis of the end-effector platform is presented. The example also includes the computation of the workspace and the direct/inverse singularities of the example.

In this work a novel spatial hyper-redundant manipulator inspired in the motions of the worms is introduced. The displacement analysis is presented in a semi-closed form solution, whereas the velocity and acceleration analyses are carried out by means of the theory of screws. Among typical applications of most hyper-redundant manipulators, interesting biomechanical applications such as the simulation of the motion of the spine are available for this new artificial worm.

In this work a new nonoverconstrained redundant decoupled robot, free of compound joints, formed from three parallel manipulators, with two moving platforms and provided with six active limbs connected to the fixed platform, called LinceJJP, is presented. Interesting applications such as multi-axis machine tools with parallel kinematic architectures, solar panels, radar antennas, and telescopes are available for this novel spatial mechanism.