SBIR Phase I: Cable-Driven Manipulator for Light Manufacturing and Service Applications

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project focuses on the development of several technical capabilities for the class of open-frame, cable-driven robots and demonstrates these capabilities in a practical boat maintenance application. To-date such robots have largely remained laboratory curiosities, despite their potential for affording a large work volume in a light-weight, low-cost package. The proposer intends to advance this robotic technology along specific technical avenues, including work volume enhancement, force control, vibration resistance and tool orientation dexterity, in order to demonstrate the fitness of this class of robots for wide and productive application as machine tools. The work program will include conceptual design of the robot and the provisions for end-effectors, control system design, and lab-based testing. The targeted innovations will advance the design and applications of cable-driven robots to support machine automation in areas ignored by traditional robotic systems. They will foster the spread of commercially valuable automation technology and reduce the use of labor in dirty, dangerous and arduous tasks by lowering the cost, capability and work space barriers to the acceptance of robots in light manufacturing and service industry settings. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).