Improving Motion Stability of the Plane 3-RPR Parallel Manipulator at Singular Configuration

Kinematic parameters have significant influences on the motion stability of parallel manipulators at singular configureations. Taking the plane 3-RPR parallel manipulator as an example, the motion stability at different types of singular configurations corresponding to the angular speed and velocity of the movable platform are investigated. At first, the second order of uncoupled dynamics equation for the 3-RPR parallel manipulator is established with the aid of the second class Lagrange approach. According to the Lyapunov first approximate stability criterion, the approximate conditions for the 3-RPR parallel manipulator with a stabile motion at singular configurations are determined based on the Gerschgorin circle theorem. Next, the exact Hurwitz criterion is utilized to study the motion stability and the load capability of the manipulator corresponding to the angular speed and velocity of the movable platform, as well as the directions of the external forces at two kinds of singular configurations: with a gained rotation-type DOF, and with a gained translation-type DOF, respectively. The results show that increasing both the angular speed and the velocity of the mass center of the movable platform can efficiently improve the motion stability of the 3-RPR parallel manipulator at singular configurations.