Design and Analysis of 7-DOF Cable-Driven Manipulator

As a programmable multifunctional operating platform, manipulator plays an important role in production and life. The rigid joint manipulator started early and developed mature, and has been widely used in the industrial field. However, the working environment of the rigid manipulator is limited by the electromechanical system, and it is difficult to implement reliable protection in extreme environments such as explosive, high temperature and radiation, so the use is limited. With the advantages of flexible electromechanical system layout, high load-to-weight ratio and good inherent safety, the cable drive flexible manipulator gets wide attention in the fields of medical assistance and family service. In this paper, taking into account the operation requirements of extreme environment, facing the development trend of man-machine coordination, and giving full play to the characteristics of flexible electromechanical system layout of the cable-driven manipulator, a 7-DOF lightweight cooperative manipulator is proposed. Firstly, the kinematic coupling phenomenon in the transmission is analyzed, and the kinematic decoupling scheme of the bending joint and the rotating joint is proposed. Secondly, considering the kinematic and dynamic similarity with human arm, the joint structure design of the cable drive manipulator is completed, the kinematics model of the cable drive manipulator is established. The drive system, such as the servo motor and drum, is installed on a fixed base, effectively reducing the overall mass of the manipulator, improving the energy efficiency of the motion, the safety of man-machine collaboration and the adaptability to harsh environments.