Genetic algorithm based optimization for Dual-Arm Cam-Lock robot configuration

Cooperative systems have been extensively investigated in literature. Herein the criteria and implementation for finding the optimal configuration of the Dual-Arm Cam-Lock (DACL) robot manipulators at a specific point with the objective to optimize the applicable task-space force in a desired direction are addressed. The DACL robot manipulators are reconfigurable arms formed by two parallel cooperative manipulators. Some of their joints may lock into each other. Therefore, the arms normally operate redundantly. However, when higher structural stiffness is needed these two arms can lock into each other in specific joints and loose some degrees of freedom. The dynamics of the DACL robot is discussed and parametrically formulated. At a given point in the robot’s workspace, considering the cooperatively applicable force by the arms, the optimum configuration is found under the geometrical constraints of the planar arms using genetic algorithm as a multi-objective optimizer.