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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

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

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Created October 4, 2004, Updated February 17, 2017
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