Kinematics of Micro Parallel Robots

A micro parallel mechanism fabricated by MEMStechnology can be part of an electro-mechanicalsystem for applications including switchingfocusing steering or vibration stabilizing. Thecurrent investigation takes into consideration themicro manufacturing limitations and suggests specialrobot architectures along with kinematic treatment torealize robots on the sub-millimeter scale. Thisapproach is denoted as MEMS kinematics since itcomprises both MEMS constraints and fundamentalkinematic rules in mechanism design. The researchcontains two parts: (A) First we suggest kinematicarchitectures of parallel mechanisms that aresuitable for MEMS fabrication. The mechanisms consistof only revolute joints and linear actuators locatedat the base. They allow the moving platform to have afull six degrees-of-freedom or pure translationalmotion. (B) Second we discuss large clearances atthe joints that may appear due to the manufacturingtechniques. Tools for analyzing the mechanismbehavior are introduced enabling graphicalrepresentation of assembly modes changing andexternal forces that the platform withstands with nomotion even in the presence of the joint clearances.