Path Optimization of a Collaborative Four-Bar Mechanism with an Elastic Coupler

Abstract

Kinematic synthesis is a widely used method in the design and analysis of mechanical systems. However, utilizing elasticity in four-bar systems poses challenges in achieving precise motion control. The current study proposes a kinematic synthesis optimization methodology using an optimization approach and demonstrates it on a four-bar mechanism having an elastic end effector that is fixed to its coupler. The proposed methodology includes parameter extraction for similar mechanisms with rigid links with respect to given path constraints and uses the results as starting boundary conditions for the mechanism having elastic counterparts by considering workspace disturbance negation as design constraints via the proposed optimization methodology. Results show that without adding additional sensory components and degrees of freedom, the proposed methodology allows efficient parameter extraction to fulfill desired tasks with minimal error similar to the rigid link counter version of the mechanism.