Design and Simulation of 3-DOF Reconfigurable Planar Parallel Robot

This paper presents the design approach for 3-DOF (degrees-of-freedom) reconfigurable planar parallel mechanism (RPPM) with modular kinematic limbs and hybrid platform. Using the proposed approach, a series of kinematic models with rotatability are obtained. At first, the main models of PPMs are constructed. Then a series of configuration models of PPM modules are reconstructed. And the new configuration families of 3-DOF PPMs are obtained. Finally, the motion trajectories of three driven layout configurations are simulated, and the results show that the hybrid-loop platform can expand the workspace of PPM. Especially, the configurations of the PPM can transform from the two operations modes to the original mode.