Parallel manipulator robots are widely used in a large number of applications because they provide important advantages in terms of superior speeds and accelerations, high stiffness and good dynamic performance. In additive manufacturing (AM), this kind of kinematic structures is being increasingly explored to develop new curved and multi-directional fabrication strategies.Based on this application, this work presents the design and dimensional synthesis of a new structure of the Linear Delta parallel robot for AM (3D printing). The new structure uses an innovative concept of Delta mechanism with single legs and rotational joints, which consists of twelve links (three parallel single legs), three prismatic joints and eleven revolute joints. A particular feature of the proposed mechanism is that it contains a joint common to all the kinematic chains instead of a mobile platform as in the conventional Linear Delta structures. Mobility analysis, inverse and direct kinematics, and a study of dimensional synthesis are described in detail. A method of efficient optimization based on genetic algorithms is used to find the minimum dimensional parameters of the robot, considering the maximization of the useful workspace as the main performance index. In order to validate the proposal, a prototype of the robot was built. Capability and geometric deviations analysis was carried out for three test parts resulting in a 0.3-mm deviation/error within a confidence interval of 99.7%.

This paper presents the development of a remote robotic platform to monitor and take care of urban crops. The agricultural robot performs activities such as sowing, irrigation, fumigation, and pruning activities on a small scalable structured crop. The generalities of the design of an anthropomorphic robot with five degrees of freedom, the description of the development of a multipurpose end effector for the development of agricultural tasks, the implemented architecture of the teleoperation system of the robot is presented, including a visual support system and the employment of a low-cost master robot that allows the slave robot to be controlled more intuitively. Finally, some experimental results that show the functioning of the system are presented.

This paper presents the development of a remote robotic platform to monitor and take care of urban crops. The agricultural robot performs activities such as sowing, irrigation, fumigation, and pruning activities on a small scalable structured crop. The generalities of the design of an anthropomorphic robot with five degrees of freedom, the description of the development of a multipurpose end effector for the development of agricultural tasks, the implemented architecture of the teleoperation system of the robot is presented, including a visual support system and the employment of a low-cost master robot that allows the slave robot to be controlled more intuitively. Finally, some experimental results that show the functioning of the system are presented.

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Although there are different alternatives to provide energy, there are still remote regions with no nearby possibilities of having an electricity supply that meets their basic needs. Colombia, like many countries, does not have uniform environmental conditions; therefore, applying models for the dimensioning of energy systems based on renewable energy can be inefficient and expensive, making it difficult to access electricity in isolated places. The research aims to develop a sizing strategy for a hybrid system based on locally acquired environmental information to size a system that takes advantage of the natural resources available in the local in the best possible way. Information is collected through a data acquisition system on local environmental conditions, system requirements are established based on energy demand, and a mathematical model is sought that represents the electrical behavior. The model makes it possible to analyze the system’s behavior under variable environmental conditions in the region, thus guaranteeing an adequate dimensioning for a constant supply of low-power energy suitable for residential use. This article presents an alternative to characterize a hybrid power generation system (photovoltaic/wind turbine) through data collected on-site, which, when properly processed, allows the dimensioning of a more appropriate hybrid system to the environmental conditions the environment. The system was implemented in an experimental farm of the University of Pamplona located in the north of Colombia. Based on this strategy, a hybrid system was designed and installed to meet energy demands efficiently.