The mathematical model and direct kinematics solution analysis of Delta parallel

robot
Jingjun Zhang
Scientific Research Office
Hebei University of Engineering
Handan,China
xiaoyezi0420@163.com
Lihong Shi Ruizhen Gao Chaoyang Lian
Mechanical design and theory
Hebei University of Engineering
Hebei, P.R. China
apple0420@yahoo.cn
AbstractBy analyzing the mechanism of Delta parallel robot
and setting up coordinate system on both static platform and
moving platform, then the constraint equation and Jacob
matrix can be gained. Combined with the Multi-body of Delta
parallel robot built with Pro/E, and then the model is
transferred to ADAMS by MECHANISM/Pro. The inverse
solution and spline curves and spline function can be obtained
through simulation at first, by using the result of spline curves
and spline function can obtain the direct solution. This way is
much easier, faster and accurately than the ways of Numerical
Solution and Analytical Method. It is proved that the results
can be put into practice.
Keywords- Delta parallel robot; mathematical model; ADAMS
software; simulation; direct solution
I. INTRODUCTION
Delta parallel robot is a highly commercial used parallel
robot which has a 3-DOF translational and high speed. It was
put forward by Doctor Calve early in 1985[1].The parallel
robot has many advantages, such as big loading ability, high
precision, inverse solution easier, minor error, small
deadweight load ratio, good dynamic performance, control
easy. [2][3] Proposed several ways of inverse problem
solution. The ways of getting direct solution are Numerical
Solution and Analytical Method, which are complex, but
using the ADAMS software to get the forward solution and
inverse solution is much easier. It will make any mistakes if
the model of the robot is right [4][5][6][7].
In this paper, the thought of using ADAMS is to get the
results, proposing an improved solution for direct solution.
II. BUILT MULTI-BODY OF DELTA PARALLEL ROBOT
A. The mechanism constraint equation
Delta parallel robot is made up of one static platform,
one moving platform, three driving rods and three driven
move parallelograms branch chains (Fig.1 is its structure
diagram).The three edges of the static platform have the
same kinematic chain join to the moving platform. Each
kinematic chain is a parallelograms branch chain close-loop
which is joined with two driven rods by four spherical hinge,
this close-loop and one driving rod with rotation joint
constitute a series mechanism, the driving rod is fixed to the
static platform, the driving rod swing repeat by the drive of
determined by these three kinematics chains. The moving
platform has 3-DOF translational, which means that it can
move only along to the direction of x, y, z -axis in the space
coordinate and can't rotate around the x, y, z- axis.
As shown in Figure 1, the
O
is the center of the static
platform, and the
O
is the center of the moving platform,
i i
B A
are the driving rods with the length of
1
l
,
i i
C B
are
the driven rods with the length of
2
l
.For calculating
expediently, setting up coordinate system on both static
platform and moving platform named
XYZ O
and
Z Y X O
,
1

are the field angle between

the
Z
-axis and
i i
B A
.
Figure 1. Kinematics diagram of Delta parallel robot.
Let
i
OA
=
R
,
i
OC
=
r
, the coordinate of center
O
in coordinate system
XYZ O
is
T
z] y [x
, and then
the position vector of
i
A
in
XYZ O
are:

_____________________________
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=
0
sin
cos
i
i
io
R
R
a

, among them

6
3 4
=
i
i

i
=1,2,3, as the same time the position vector of
i
C
in
coordinate system
XYZ O
can also be gained :

0
sin
cos
i
i
o i
r
r
c

, and the same

6
3 4
=
i
i

i
=1,2,3,by geometric relation, the position vector of
i
B
in coordinate system
XYZ O
can be expressed as

+
+
=
i
i i
i i
i
l
l R
l R
B

cos
sin ) sin (
cos ) sin (
1
1
1

Let coordinate of vector
O O
is
[ ]
T
o
xyz C =
in
coordinate system
XYZ O
, then
i
C O
can be expressed
as:

+
+
=
z
y r
x r
c
i
i
io

sin
cos
,
So, based on
2
l B C
i i
=
, can be derived
[ ]
[ ]
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
) cos (
sin ) sin (
cos ) sin (
l z l
y r l R
x r l R
i
i i
i i
=
+ +
+ +

(1),
Letbe
[ ]
[ ]
0 ) cos (
sin ) sin (
cos ) sin (
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
1
=
+ +
+ + =
l z l
y r l R
x r l R F
i
i i
i i i

(2),
After derivation calculus of T to above (1) the Jac
ob
matrix can be gained:
B A J
1
=
, among them ,

=
z
F
y
F
x
F
z
F
y
F
x
F
z
F
y
F
x
F
A
3 3 3
2 2 2
1 1 1
,

=
3
3
2
2
1
1

F
F
F
B

] cos ) sin [(
1
x r l R
x
F
i i
i
+ =

] sin ) sin [(
1
y r l R
y
F
i i
i
+ =

i
i
l z
z
F
cos
1
+ =

,
Letbe
i i
r l R M cos ) sin (
1
+ = ,
i i
r l R N sin ) sin (
1
+ =
,
i
l P cos
1
=
then
i i
i i i i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
i
l r R zl
s yl xl
P
P
F N
N
F M
M
F F



cos ) ( sin
sin cos cos cos
1 1
1 1
+
=

B. The mechanism of Delta parallel robot
Pro/E is powerful software, especially in designing
parametric feature modeling of 3D design, feature modeling
not only describes the information of the geometric shape
but also highly expresses the function information of the
products, and Pro/E software has so powerful assembling
function that the designed parts have beautiful shape and
good visibility. Using the Pro/E software to build the 3D
model of Delta parallel robot can avoid repeating modeling
work for assembling the same part .According to the above-
described frame of Delta parallel robot, built the 3D show as
Figure 2.

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Figure 2. Delta parallel robot mechanism
The grey platform is static platform, the red platform is
moving, the green rods are three driving rods, and the grey
rods are six driven rods. The detailed parameters are shown
in Tabs 1.
TABLE I. PARAMETERS OF DELTA PARALLEL ROBOT MECHANISM
Structure parameters length/mm
driving rod 500
driven rod 1139
1
r 240
2
r 70
1
r
circumradius of static platform
2
r
circumradius of moving platform
MECHANISM/Promodule is the interface between
ADAMS software and Pro/ e software, the two use seamless
interface and the user can according to the model define the
mechanical system and do simulation of kinematics and
dynamics without exiting the application environment, and
the model can also be transferred to ADAMS /View for the
following comprehensive kinematics analysis. The Delta
model shown as in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Delta parallel robot mechanism model
III. DIRECT SOLUTION OF DELTA PARALLEL ROBOT
The position solving problem of parallel robot including
two facts: the inverse solution and the forward solution[8],
generally speaking, the inverse solution is much easier to
get[9], that to say known the position parameters of moving
platform to seek the position parameters of the input joints,
on the contrary, the forward solution is known the position
parameters of input joints to seek the position parameters of
moving platform which is hard, [10] proposed a geometric
solution of direct solution of Delta parallel robot , but using
the ADAMS software to solve the forward solution is quite
easy. The following Figure 4 is the flow chart of direct
solution.
Figure 4. Flow chart of direct solution
A. Seeking the inverse solution by adding point driving
Choosing the moving platform-CG as the key point
where adding the 3D-point driving, let the manipulator move
vertically 25mm/s, the relation equations of the position of
point driving and time T are as follows:
Horizontal direction X: 200*sin (5*time)
Horizontal direction Y: 200*cos (5*time)
Vertical direction Z: 50*sin(5*time)
By adding point driving can realize circular motion of
manipulator according to the predetermined path. Using the
object measurement function of ADAMS/view can measure
the rotate angle of the driving rods. Simulation of Delta
parallel robot 5s 500steps can get the rotate angle

of 3 moving rods, the

curves shown as in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Rotate angle curves of moving rods
The up three curves are the initial curves and the under
three are the equivalent forms which the number begin with
0, the under curves can be used as motion adding to the
driving rods.

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B. Kinematics direct solution
After getting the inverse solution, then save the measured
curves and they will be send to the post processing module,
change the three curves to spline curves, in this way the
discrete date of the driving joint of the Delta parallel robot
during motion state can be gained, the treated spline curves
can be used as driving function, for the known condition to
seek the forward solution of Delta parallel robot.
According to the provided spline function by ADAMS,
take the discrete date point as known conditions generate to
driving function, then according to the driving function then
moving function which about the angle and time can be
added to the three moving rods. The functions are:
Motion1AKISPLtime, 0, sp1, 0);
Motion1AKISPLtime, 0, sp2, 0);
Motion1AKISPLtime, 0, sp3, 0);
The point motion can be deleted or set invalid after
adding the moving function to the driving rods, Simulation
of Delta parallel robot 5s 300steps again, at this time we can
clearly see the trajectory of the manipulator, with the
trajectory visible in Figure 6. And the displacement curves of
manipulator-CM shown as in Figure 7.
Put the result of trajectory of the manipulator to post
processing module generated to spline function, the dates of
the spline function are the right forward solution of the
manipulator.
Figure 6. The trajectory of the manipulator
Figure 7. The displacement curves of X, Y, Z
The curves of angular velocity and acceleration of
driving rods changed with time can also be measured. The
gained curves and dates and the spline curves are consistent
with the measure curves of motion relationship, it is proved
that this method is right and the curves conversion accuracy
of ADAMS is very high. Right now we got the right forward
solution. (The angular velocity shown as in Fig.8)
From the simulation Fig.6 we can see that the trajectory
of the manipulator is the same as the trajectory of former
inverse solution when added point motion. The result is turn
out to be right and the way of seeking inverse solution and
forward solution by ADAMS is feasible.
Figure 8. The angular velocity curves of driving rods
IV. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper the mathematical model of delta robot is
built and then the Jacob matrix can be gained, and a simple
method of getting the direct solution is introduced. It
neednt heavy programming task and can save too much
time & work force that we use ADAMS to solve the
problems of inverse and direct solution. This method makes
important significance of development of new type robot
and machine tool and can also verify the generality and
validity made by scientific researchers and expedited the
step of innovation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the supports of
International cooperative project of Scientific Office of
Hebei Province under No. 07393522D.
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