Generation and forward displacement analysis of two new classes of analytic 6-SPS parallel manipulators

Analytic manipulators are manipulators with a characteristic polynomial of fourth degree or lower. Using the component approach to generate analytic 6 -SPS parallel manipulators (PMs), the generation process is reduced to the generation of analytic components for 6-SPS PMs. Two new classes of analyti c components for 6-SPS PMs are generated at first. Then, two new classes, I X and X, of analytic 6-SPS PMs are generated. The forward displacement anal ysis (FDA) of the new analytic 6-SPS PMs is also performed. The FDA of the 6-SPS PMs of class IX is reduced to the solution of one univariate cubic eq uation and two univariate quadratic Equations, in sequence, while that of t he 6-SPS PMs of class X is reduced to the solution of three univariate quad ratic equations in sequence. Both of the new analytic 6-SPS PMs have at mos t eight assembly modes. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.