Design and Analysis of Hybrid Robotic Mechanisms Using SCARA and RCM Mechanisms

Serial and parallel are the two types of robotic mechanisms. Since parallel mechanisms have more rigidity and accuracy compared to the serial mechanisms, they are used in many instances. Different types of approaches have been taken to derive new parallel mechanisms using a serial mechanism. Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) have used to generate parallel mechanisms like double SCARA and SCARA-Tau. Remote Center Motion (RCM) mechanisms are also widely used in the literature. The combination of the SCARA and RCM mechanisms can generate new mechanisms which have more advantages compared to the single mechanism. In this paper these types of hybrid configurations are discussed. The first design is derived using the concepts of double SCARA and SCARA-Tau. The second design is derived by doing some improvement to the first design by adding a virtual center mechanism. The third design has the concept of the RCM mechanism. All three designs are discussed with their advantages and disadvantages along with the mathematical models and their controlling capabilities.