Large Deformation Analysis of Compliant Parallel Mechanisms

Chen Qiu*, Jian S. Dai

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Further the large deformation problem of compliant mechanisms is investigated in this chapter. As has been discussed in Sect. 4.4.4, when a compliant mechanism is under a large external load, the corresponding stiffness matrix is no longer symmetric and invariant. However, its force equilibrium still holds the same and it is used here to explore the compliant mechanism’s large deformation properties. It is straight forward to conduct inverse force analysis of compliant serial mechanisms and forward force analysis of compliant parallel mechanisms. However, additional consideration is needed for compliant mechanisms that have mixed configurations. In accordance with this, a repelling-screw based force analysis approach is developed in this chapter, making it possible to conduct a forward force analysis of compliant mechanisms that have hybrid combinations of flexible elements. This proposed force-modelling approach is further applied to analyze the large deformation behaviours of origami-inspired compliant mechanisms. An origami-inspired compliant mechanism is a foldable structure that consists of both panels and creases, which can be treated as an equivalent mechanism by taking panels as links and creases as revolute joints. Thus an origami mechanism can be treated as a parallel mechanism with revolute joints. Section 8.2 presents a complete experimental test of single creases of origami folds, which reveals an origami crease can be treated as a one-DOF flexible element with embedded torsional stiffness. This paves the way for the further force analysis of origami compliant structures using the proposed repelling-screw based approach. The theoretical background of this approach is provided in Sect. 8.3 in the framework of screw theory, and it is utilized to conduct force analysis of several typical origami compliant platforms in the following Sects. 8.4 and 8.5 respectively.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSpringer Tracts in Advanced Robotics
PublisherSPRINGER
Pages121-145
Number of pages25
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2021

Publication series

NameSpringer Tracts in Advanced Robotics
Volume139
ISSN (Print)1610-7438
ISSN (Electronic)1610-742X

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