Kinematic design and analysis of a 6-DOF spatial five-Bar linkage

Abstract In this work, a novel 6-DOF parallel manipulator is proposed. The manipulator is designed in the form of a five-bar spatial linkage with spherical-universal-universal-universal-spherical architecture, where actuation comes from two spherical joints. Unlike conventional 6-DOF parallel manipulators with six kinematic subchains, this new design has only two subchains, which brings kinematic advantages such as large workspace and small footprint ratio. An analytical approach is presented to determine the inverse position of the linkage, based on which the sixteen working modes are analyzed. Closed-form equations are formulated for the forward position problem, upon which the corresponding sixteen assembly modes are investigated. With velocity equation established, several singular configurations are determined. Two practical applications of the proposed linkage are illustrated.