Genetic design of kinematically optimal fine tuning Stewart platform for large spherical radio telescope

This paper presents a methodology for the design of optimal kinematical cha racteristics of Stewart platform using genetic algorithms (GAs). The optima l kinematics index which expressed by Jacobian matrix of Stewart platform i s first deduced, and then the minimum of condition numbers of Jacobian matr ix in the whole trajectory tracing workspace is used as the objective funct ion. The constrained optimal design problem is transformed to unrestrained optimal one which is suitable to GAs by penalizing strategy, and the corres ponding real-encoding scheme is used. This genetic methodology for optimal kinematical Stewart platform is illustrated by applying to design the fine tuning Stewart platform for large spherical radio telescope, and its validi ty is verified with the kinematic accuracy comparison of genetic-designed f ine tuning platform with that of conventional Quasi-Newton optimal method. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.