Design and Optimization of Manipulator for Live-line Working Robot Based on Manipulability

Live-line working robot on distribution network always is a hot topic of research. However, limited by structural dimensions and safety considerations of insulation, manipulator arms, as robot actuators, have always been less dexterous and redundant. In this paper, the manipulator arm is modeled base on MD-H conventions, and the manipulability is used as the evaluation index for structural design and optimization. Then, the parameters requirement of motors for each joint is calculated based on fifth-order polynomial interpolation, and the motors are selected reasonably. And the two designed manipulator arms are integrated into a same platform to obtain a dual-arm live working robot in V-shaped configuration for greater workspace and flexibility. For safety reasons, a 10 centimeters long insulated section is added at the end of the manipulator arm to meet the insulation requirement and tasks for the 10kV live working. And finite element insulation analysis withstand voltage simulation is performed to prove its validity. Finally, functional tests of the manipulator arm were conducted to prove that the performance of the manipulator arm and the design of insulation protection meet the requirements of live working robot on distribution network. Based on the dual-arm live working robot with the designed manipulator, outdoor operation experiments are performed to verify the feasibility and flexibility of the designed manipulator with optimization of manipulability.