Computer Aided Design of a Macro-positioning Robot for an Hexapod

In this study, computer aided design of a macro-positioning robot for an hexapod is considered. The macro-positioning robot is designed to manipulate the hexapod precisely. Hexapod robots have micron-precision motion capability. On the other hand, their limited workspace is not enough for some applications. There are some solutions to extend this limited workspace. Combination of two different robots can be considered as a solution for having macro-positioning and micron precision features both in one system. These types of robot system combinations are defined as hybrid robots in the literature. In this study, integrated design approach is used to design, analysis and control of the macro-positioning robot. API (“application program interface”) capabilities of SolidWorks, CosmosMotion, CosmosWorks and PC-based motor control software are used to develop integrated software by VisualBASIC. After completing all the analyses, a prototype of the robot was built. This prototype consists of two axes. Most of the robot parts are manufactured except the actuators. Actuators of the robot are Harmonic Drive AC servo units. As an additional work, this study includes developing interface between a robotic system and a vision system.