Optimal Design of a Parallel Manipulator for Aliquoting of Biomaterials Considering Workspace and Singularity Zones

Abstract

This article presents the concept of a robotic system for aliquoting of biomaterial, consisting of a serial manipulator in combination with a parallel Delta-like robot. The paper describes a mathematical formulation for approximating the geometric constraints of the parallel robot as a set of solutions to a system of nonlinear inequalities. The analysis of the workspace is carried out, taking into account singularity zones, using a method based on the analysis of the Jacobian matrix of the mechanism and the interference of links. An optimal design procedure is proposed for the dimensional synthesis based on a criterion for maximizing the volume of the workspace, taking into account the ambiguity of the solution of the inverse kinematics. Simulation results are reported and discussed to propose a suitable design solution.