Dual Linear Delta Assembly for Six-DOF Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delta robots are limited by only providing three degrees of freedom, which restricts their applications, especially in underwater and radiological environments, due to increased inertia and water shear caused by additional drive units and electronics on the load path, and they are not mobile or capable of rapid translation.
Innovation Solution
A dual linear delta assembly is introduced, comprising a frame with two concentric linear delta systems, each with rails, actuators, and parallel rods, allowing additional degrees of freedom and movement without adding mass to the load path, thereby enhancing workspace and speed while reducing external influences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional drive units and electronics are added to provide more degrees of freedom, then the functional capability is improved, but the mass and inertia on the load path increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drive units and electronics from the load path (platform) and relocates them to the stationary frame. This allows the platform to remain lightweight while still achieving six degrees of freedom through the combination of two three-DOF linear delta systems, each controlled by separate drive units mounted on the frame rather than on the moving platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional single three-DOF delta robot to a dual linear delta system that operates in an expanded dimensional space. By stacking two three-DOF systems (each providing movement in x, y, z directions) and combining their capabilities, the system achieves six degrees of freedom without adding mass to the moving platform, effectively utilizing the spatial arrangement of two concentric systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional drive units and electronics are added to provide more degrees of freedom, then the functional capability is improved, but water shear and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drive units and electronics from the load path (platform) and relocates them to the stationary frame. This allows the platform to remain lightweight while still achieving six degrees of freedom through the combination of two three-DOF linear delta systems, each controlled by separate drive units mounted on the frame rather than on the moving platform.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional framing is used to support the delta robot, then structural stability is improved, but mobility and rapid translation capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the support structure into a modular dual linear delta configuration with two independent three-DOF systems. Each system has its own rails, actuators, and parallel rods that work independently but coordinate to provide six-DOF motion. This segmentation allows the system to maintain stability through the rigid frame while achieving rapid translation through the coordinated action of the segmented systems without requiring excessive framing.
Data Source
AI summary
A dual linear delta assembly includes a frame, a first linear delta system, and a second linear delta system concentric with the first linear delta system. Each of the first linear delta system and the second linear delta system may include rails mounted to the frame, linear actuators, each linear actuator coupled to a respective rail of the rails and configured to translate along a longitudinal length of the respective rail, pairs of parallel rods each operably coupled to a respective linear actuator of the linear actuators, and a platform coupled to a longitudinal end of each of the pairs of parallel rods opposite the respective linear actuator of the linear actuators.