Combined Structural and Dimensional Synthesis of a Parallel Robot for Cryogenic Handling Tasks

The combined structural and dimensional synthesis is a tool for finding the robot structure that is suited best for a given task by means of global optimization. The handling task in cryogenic environments gives strong constraints on the robot synthesis, which are translated by an engineering design step into the combined synthesis algorithm. This allows to reduce the effort of the combined synthesis, which provides concepts for alternative robot designs and indications on how to modify the existing design prototype, a linear Delta robot with flexure hinges. Promising design candidates are the 3PRRU and 3PRUR, which outperform the linear Delta (3PUU) regarding necessary actuator force.