Mechatronic wrist unit with fine positioning capabilities

Abstract

This paper describes the research into and development of a mechatronic wrist unit with fine motion capabilities. The wrist has been originally designed as a four-axis system with three revolute and one prismatic joints. However, at this time only two of the axes have been implemented - one revolute and one prismatic. It is expected that the other two axes will also be implemented in the near future. This paper describes the underlying techniques for the design and development of the wrist unit given the constraints and goals, such as weight and the required accuracy set out at the start of the project. The paper also describes the control strategies as well as the actuation mechanism for fine positioning operations. The sensing strategies and the results of the experiments carried out for performance analysis are also presented.