Development of an articulated transporter/manipulator system

摘要

The development of an articulated transporter/manipulator system was undertaken to meet the navigational and manipulation needs expected in confined areas associated with the nuclear power industry. Initially, the mobility concept was examined. An articulated vehicle was conceived that could conceptually meet the expected navigational requirements. This concept consists of several (up to 12) segments attached to each other by two revolute and two prismatic degrees of freedom. The joints are configured so that all mechanical connections are simple revolute or prismatic joints which yields an overall simple mechanical design. Research was undertaken to develop the concept. Actuation schemes were examined with respect to torque capacity and controllability. Further refinement lead to improvements in structural design with respect to stiffness and weight reduction. Two iterations have been performed on the design of the segment, with the latest iteration utilizing composite materials and a distributed structure to improve stiffness and minimize weight.