The mechanical design of a novel Schönflies-motion generator

The design of a novel Schönflies-motion generator (SMG) is the focus of the paper. Schönflies motions are characterized by four degrees of freedom: three independent translations and one rotation about one axis of fixed orientation. The two driving modules of the manipulator are intended to produce, each, two independent motions, pan and tilt. The design philosophy and the layout of the SMG are discussed, along with the design procedure, which includes: (i) part-modelling and visualization, with animation of the device; (ii) evaluation of the main parameters and the characteristics of the different structural realizations, as well as the selection of one single structure meeting best the design specifications; (iii) the design of the main components for the selected variant of the structure; (iv) the structural and modal analyses and determination of the inertial and elastic parameters of the device and its components; and (v) the production of detailed manufacturing drawings. Further results of structural and modal analyses of the SMG are considered, while the link geometry is defined based on the design specifications.