Singularity Analysis of a Single-Loop Underactuated Wrist

Abstract

In a previous paper, this author proposed a novel type of underactuated parallel wrist (PW) with a single-loop architecture containing only one nonholonomic constraint. Moreover, he addressed its position analysis and path planning and showed that closed-form formulas can be used to solve all the finite-kinematics problems involved in the path planning of the novel PW. Here, the instantaneous kinematics and the singularity analysis of this PW are addressed. In particular, both the analytic and geometric conditions which identify the singular configurations are presented together with their static interpretation. The presented results are relevant for designing this type of PWs.