Design and Application of a 3-DoF Manipulator for Launch and Recovery System

A novel 3-DoF translational manipulator is designed by constructing the parallel linear motion elements and the single loop 2-SPR. Based on screw theory, the mobility and the singularity are analyzed. Then the simplified kinematic and dynamic equations for this manipulator are derived. This mechanism can be applied for the Launch and Recovery System in the catamaran-style USV, on the purpose of picking and placing the autonomous vehicles in the water. The control model is established and the simulation is also conducted. To save the storage and enlarge the workspace of this manipulator, the scissor-like elements(SLEs) are introduced to improve the design of this mechanism. The improved 3- DoF translational manipulator with SLEs is proposed at last.