MECHANICAL DESIGN OF A MODULAR ROBOT FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Modular robots consist of standard units such as joints, links, and end effectors that can be efficiently configured into the most suitable manipulator geometry for a given (multi-operation) task. The fundamental difference between current (standard) industrial robots and modular robots lies on the design approach followed. Most of the current industrial robots have been designed as nonreconfigurable universal systems capable of performing a large number of tasks, though not under global optimal conditions. Modular robot inventories, on the other hand, are aimed at yielding a number of different robot geometries, where each one is configured to an optimal geometry for a specific task. The objective of our ongoing research in the area of mechanical design of modular robots is to develop an inventory of basic modular units. We present some of our research results on the conceptual design of a modular robot inventory in this paper. The individual modular robot units that are presented include one degree-of-freedom (dof) main and end-effector joints (rotary and prismatic types), and a variety of links and adapters. These units are specifically designed for industrial applications. Some flexibility in terms of reconfigurability is sacrificed to achieve practical designs to answer the needs of the manufacturing industry.