Optimal design of a parallel structure used as a haptic Interface

Abstract

The design of mechanical structures is a task which requires a large amount of experience. Experience can only be gained with time and this represents a disadvantage for junior engineers. However, using optimization methods, inexperienced engineers can achieve optimal results. One application for optimization methods in engineering is the design of mechanisms. The design problem can be formulated as an optimization problem, and so the optimal solution can be found using optimization, regardless of the experience of the design engineer. The aim of this paper is to present how the design of a parallel structure can be formulated as an optimization problem, how the factors influencing the design are incorporated in the problem formulation as goals or constraints. The developed theoretical aspects are then applied for the optimization of the parallel structure. Since the application of the optimized structure is a haptic device, the goal is to minimize the difference between the workspace of the robot and the defined most used part of the workspace of the human hand. Genetic Algorithms have been chosen to carry out the optimization. Results show that the method has dimensioned the design variables in a manner that corresponds to the formulated goal.