Modeling and simulation of spatial 6-DOF parallel robots using Simulink and SimMechanics

This paper addressed the dynamics and control for completely spatial 6-DOF parallel robots (SPR) in computer. The complex dynamic equations are derived via using Kane methods, and a typical PID controller is developed for spatial 6-DOF parallel robots. Making use of the software of Simulink, the computer model of SPR is built in terms of the dynamic equations of SPR, and the simulation is realized for SPR under PID controller in Simulink. The computer model of SPR is also established with SimMechanics to confirm the computer model in Simulink, according to the physical relationship of SPR. The simulation results demonstrate that the computer model of SPR in Simulink is correct, and the two methods of computer modeling are effective for SPR and other mechanical systems, especially the SimMechanics like ADAMS.