Novel tendon driven 5-bar linkage with a large isotropic workspace

• Post by: System
• 27 November 2019
• Comments off

An innovative, tension-tendon drive system is proposed to increase the kinematically isotropic workspace and the average force transmission ratio of the closed chain 5-bar linkage. Tendons run from the grounded actuators all along the mechanism closed chain and terminate on the ground. In this way, each of the two actuators transmits torques to all the five joints of the mechanism. A careful choice of the radii of the joint pulleys which route the tendons allows to improve the global kinematic isotropy performance up to 1.53 times and the average force transmission ratio up to 2.97 times with respect to drive of base joints. The advantages and disadvantages of such a system for the realization of a Highly Isotropic Haptic Interface are discussed.