Calibration of Parallel Kinematic Machine Based on Stewart Platform – A Literature Review

Stewart platform-based Parallel Kinematic Machines (PKM) have been extensively studied by researchers due to their inherent finer control characteristics. This has opened its potential deployment opportunities in versatile critical applications like the medical field, engineering machines, space research, electronic chip manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, etc. All these precise, complicated, and repeatable motion applications require micro and nano-scale movement control in 3D space; a 6-DOF PKM can take this challenge smartly. For this, the PKM must be more accurate than the desired application accuracy level and thus proper calibration for a PKM robot is essential. Forward kinematics-based calibration for such hexapod machines becomes unnecessarily complex and inverse kinematics complete this task with much ease. To analyze different techniques, an external instrument-based, constraint-based, and auto or self-calibration-based approaches have been used for calibration. This survey has been done by reviewing these key methodologies, their outcome, and important points related to inverse kinematic-based PKM calibrations in general. It is observed in this study that the researchers focused on improving the accuracy of the platform position and orientation considering the errors contributed by a single source or multiple sources. The error sources considered are mainly structural, in some cases, environmental factors are also considered, however, these calibrations are done under no-load conditions. This study aims to understand the current state of the art in this field and to expand the scope for other researchers in further exploration in a specific area.