NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.

Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

PUBLICATIONS

Seven-DOF Cable-Suspended Robot with Independent Metrology

Published

Author(s)

R L. Williams, B Snyder, James S. Albus, Roger V. Bostelman

Abstract

This paper presents a new cable-suspended robot. It is a 7-cable spatial design with a closed-form forward pose kinematics solution. Applications include automated machining, construction, and sculpting. This paper presents two new ideas. First, an independent, passive, sixstring- pot-based Cartesian metrology system was built and tested since length measurements through the active drive system may be inaccurate for large-scale systems. Second, we introduce a new active cable tensioning approach wherein we control the displacement of a physical spring in-line with one of the active drive cables in attempt to ensure only positive cable tensions in all active cables. This is compared with an existing particular/homogeneous tensioning solution approach. Simulation examples are presented in this paper; we are currently building the proposed system for future evaluation work.
Conference Dates
September 28-October 2, 2004
Conference Location
Salt Lake City, UT
Conference Title
DETC '04: ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference & Computers & Information in Engineering Conference
Pub Type
Conferences

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

active drive, autonomous, cable robot, Construction, construction, Control, maching, metrology, Robot Crane, Robotics & Intelligent Systems, sculpting

Citation

Williams, R. , Snyder, B. , Albus, J. and Bostelman, R. (2004), Seven-DOF Cable-Suspended Robot with Independent Metrology, DETC '04: ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference & Computers & Information in Engineering Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=822552 (Accessed October 8, 2025)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact [email protected].

Created October 4, 2004, Updated February 17, 2017
Was this page helpful?