Robot Design and Modeling for Enclosed Area Assembly

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop a robotic fastening system for use during aircraft wing assembly. A novel robotic system is presented, that consists of a 3-DOF serial planar robotic arm mated to a revolute joint about the horizontal axis and a prismatic joint along the vertical Z axis. This configuration allows for an extensile platform that is adaptable to any wingbox. The formulation of the robot configuration is presented and validated using forward kinematics and visualization of the workspace. The dynamics of the system are modelled using the Newton-Euler method, and a mathematical model is developed to calculate the loads as a function of joint angles. The robot links are designed using the FEM, and a prototype system is fabricated. A control system is developed, and calibrated to meet the accuracy requirements. The system is then validated through repeatability tests and deflection tests in physical configurations.