Delta robot
Encyclopedia
A delta robot is a type of parallel robot. It consists of three arms connected to universal joints at the base.
The key design feature is the use of parallelogram
s in the arms, which maintains the orientation of the end effector. By contrast a Stewart platform
can change the orientation of its end effector.
The delta robots have popular usage in picking and packaging in factories because they can be quite fast, some executing up to 300 picks per minute.
at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
(EPFL, Switzerland). The purpose of this new type of robot was to manipulate light and small objects at a very high speed, an industrial need at that time.
In 1987, the company Demaurex purchased a license for the Delta robot and started the production of Delta robots for the packaging industry. In 1991 Reymond Clavel presents his doctoral thesis 'Conception d'un robot parallèle rapide à 4 degrés de liberté' and receives the golden robot award in 1999 for his work and development of the Delta robot. Also in 1999, ABB Flexible Automation starts selling its Delta robot, the FlexPicker. By the end of 1999 the Delta robots are also sold by Sigpack Systems.
s interconnecting the base with the platform. The robot can also be seen as a spatial generalisation of a four-bar linkage. It has four degrees of freedom
: three translational and one rotational. The key concept of the Delta robot is the use of parallelograms. These parallelograms restrict the movement of the end platform to pure translation (only movement in the X, Y or Z direction). The robot's base is mounted above the workspace. All the actuator
s are located in this base. From the base, three middle jointed arms extend. The arms are made of lightweight composite material
. The ends of the three arms are connected to a small triangular platform. Actuation of the input links will move the triangular platform in the X, Y or Z direction. Actuation can be done with linear
or rotational actuators. From the base, a fourth leg extends to the middle of the triangular platform to give the end effector a fourth, rotational degree of freedom.
Because the actuators are all located in the base, and the arms can be made of a light composite material the moving parts of the Delta robot have a small inertia
. This allows for very high acceleration
s. Accelerations can be up to 30 g
and speeds of 10 m/s can be reached.
The structure of the Delta robot can also be used to create haptic controllers, such as the Force Dimension omega.x, delta.x and sigma.x devices, or the Novint
Falcon game controller
.
The key design feature is the use of parallelogram
Parallelogram
In Euclidean geometry, a parallelogram is a convex quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides. The opposite or facing sides of a parallelogram are of equal length and the opposite angles of a parallelogram are of equal measure...
s in the arms, which maintains the orientation of the end effector. By contrast a Stewart platform
Stewart platform
A Stewart platform is a type of parallel robot that incorporates six prismatic actuators, commonly hydraulic jacks. These actuators are mounted in pairs to the mechanism's base, crossing over to three mounting points on a top plate. Devices placed on the top plate can be moved in the six degrees...
can change the orientation of its end effector.
The delta robots have popular usage in picking and packaging in factories because they can be quite fast, some executing up to 300 picks per minute.
History
The Delta robot (a parallel arm robot) was invented in the early 1980s by Reymond ClavelReymond Clavel
Reymond Clavel is director of the at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. He is one of the pioneers in the development of parallel robots, and the inventor of the notable Delta robot. His interest in research and his teaching are related mostly to robotics, micro-robotics...
at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
(EPFL, Switzerland). The purpose of this new type of robot was to manipulate light and small objects at a very high speed, an industrial need at that time.
In 1987, the company Demaurex purchased a license for the Delta robot and started the production of Delta robots for the packaging industry. In 1991 Reymond Clavel presents his doctoral thesis 'Conception d'un robot parallèle rapide à 4 degrés de liberté' and receives the golden robot award in 1999 for his work and development of the Delta robot. Also in 1999, ABB Flexible Automation starts selling its Delta robot, the FlexPicker. By the end of 1999 the Delta robots are also sold by Sigpack Systems.
Design
The Delta robot is a parallel robot, i.e. it consists of multiple kinematic chainKinematic chain
A kinematic chain is the assembly of several kinematic pairs connecting rigid body segments. The complexity of the chain is determined by the following factors:...
s interconnecting the base with the platform. The robot can also be seen as a spatial generalisation of a four-bar linkage. It has four degrees of freedom
Degrees of freedom (engineering)
In mechanics, degrees of freedom are the set of independent displacements and/or rotations that specify completely the displaced or deformed position and orientation of the body or system...
: three translational and one rotational. The key concept of the Delta robot is the use of parallelograms. These parallelograms restrict the movement of the end platform to pure translation (only movement in the X, Y or Z direction). The robot's base is mounted above the workspace. All the actuator
Actuator
An actuator is a type of motor for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It is operated by a source of energy, usually in the form of an electric current, hydraulic fluid pressure or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy into some kind of motion. An actuator is the mechanism by which...
s are located in this base. From the base, three middle jointed arms extend. The arms are made of lightweight composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
. The ends of the three arms are connected to a small triangular platform. Actuation of the input links will move the triangular platform in the X, Y or Z direction. Actuation can be done with linear
Linear actuator
A linear actuator is an actuator that creates linear motion .Mechanical and hydraulic actuation are the most common methods of achieving the linear motion...
or rotational actuators. From the base, a fourth leg extends to the middle of the triangular platform to give the end effector a fourth, rotational degree of freedom.
Because the actuators are all located in the base, and the arms can be made of a light composite material the moving parts of the Delta robot have a small inertia
Inertia
Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion or rest, or the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion. It is proportional to an object's mass. The principle of inertia is one of the fundamental principles of classical physics which are used to...
. This allows for very high acceleration
Acceleration
In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...
s. Accelerations can be up to 30 g
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
and speeds of 10 m/s can be reached.
Applications
Industries that take advantage of the high speed of the Delta robot are the packaging industry, medical and pharmaceutical industry. Other possible applications include assembly tasks or operation in a clean room for electronic components.The structure of the Delta robot can also be used to create haptic controllers, such as the Force Dimension omega.x, delta.x and sigma.x devices, or the Novint
Novint
Novint Technologies, Inc. is a corporation incorporated in Delaware and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Novint designs and builds haptic, or 3D touch, devices and software. Novint developed the Novint Falcon, the world's first consumer 3D touch device, which allows users to use...
Falcon game controller
Game controller
A game controller is a device used with games or entertainment systems used to control a playable character or object, or otherwise provide input in a computer game. A controller is typically connected to a game console or computer by means of a wire, cord or nowadays, by means of wireless connection...
.