Small Parallel Cable-Driven Robot Based on TCPF Design and Control Research

Abstract

Thanks to the stable and precision control characteristics of parallel cable-driven mechanisms, cable-driven parallel robots have an extremely wide range of industrial applications. These advantages can also be used to describe a millimeter-sized cable-driven parallel mechanism, therefore, we can develop a miniature cable-driven parallel robot to undertake stable and precise processing or operation beneath small scale. In this paper, a cable-driven robot "MicroCable" that operates in millimeter-scale dimensions is introduced, with detailed design and manufacturing process. This $45\times 50\times 90mm$ robot has a total mass of 28g, a payload of $\geq$50g, and an operating accuracy of $\leq$lmm in a working space of $20mm\times 23mm\times 16mm$. It is driven by three 60mm-long artificial muscles with a maximum deformation of $\geq$33% for a single artificial muscle, a payload of $\geq$50g, and a self-weight of only 0. 5g. We have verified the controllability of the cable-driven mechanism with artificial muscles at millimeter dimensions, and look forward to its potential applications in future microassembly, micromedicine, microprinting, etc.