Parasitic motion comparison of 3-PRS parallel mechanism with different limb arrangements

The 3-PRS parallel mechanism (PM) is an important category of lower-mobility parallel mechanisms. Because it can undergo one translational degree of freedom (DOF) and two rotational DOFs, the 3-PRS PM has great potential in practical application and has received extensive attention. Parasitic motion occurring in the constrained DOFs of a 3-PRS PM is a key issue affecting its application. First, the 3-PRS PM is classified into seven subcategories based on the geometrical arrangements of limbs. Then, parasitic motion of each subcategory is discussed in detail and case studies are presented. It is illustrated that the complexity of parasitic motion of the 3-PRS PM is determined by the limb arrangement. The architecture of the 3-PRS PM without parasitic motion is also identified.