A modular design kit for task-adaptable low-cost robots based on BaPaMan design

This paper discusses the redesign of a binary parallel manipulator named BaPaMan (Binary Actuated Parallel Manipulator). The aim of this work is the improvement of the structures stiffness of BaPaMan. Additionally this paper shows the implementation of a construction kit which allows task-adaptation of low-cost robots based on the BaPaMan structure. BaPaMan is a three degree of freedom (DOF) spatial parallel robot which comprises flexure hinges and Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators to achieve a low-cost design, well suited for easy operation applications. Measurements have shown that this comes at the cost of poor structural stiffness and end effector accuracy. To counter these issues BaPaMan2 and BaPaMan3 have been developed and are elaborated within this work. During the design phase, an empirical FEA is used to improve the flexure hinge performance, which analyses relations between several design parameters and the stiffness of the entire system. Finally, task-adaptation is achieved by using a design methodology and a parametric CAD model for BaPaMan. Besides the paper introduces first applications of the BaPaMan structure and shows future work.