Static performance improvement of an industrial robot by means of a cable-driven redundantly actuated system

• A cable-driven device is proposed as an auxiliary device for an industrial robot.
• Statics and kinematics of the device are addressed.
• The device makes the static performance of the robot more isotropic.
• An example of its application to a highly anisotropic robot is shown.

Every industrial robot has a specific kinematics, which often results in anisotropic performance within its workspace in terms of force and velocity. A cable-driven system can be used to improve the force manipulability of a robot by introducing an actuation redundancy. Such system acts directly on the robot end-effector increasing its flexibility of use in applications where a higher and more uniform force performance is required. This work is focused on high-thrust operations, for example robotic friction stir welding or incremental forming, realized by means of a highly anisotropic industrial robot.

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