Motion Analysis of an Underconstrained Cable Suspended Mobile Robot

This paper presents a novel design of a mobile underconstrained cable suspended robot. The paper deals with the kinematics, statics, motion planning and the design of an underconstrained cable suspended robot. The robot consists of four cable mechanisms and a central body. Each cable mechanism includes a thin cable with a simple gripper at the end, and a dispensing and rolling mechanism. The robot dispenses the cables towards possible grasping points in the surroundings, and then pulls the cables simultaneously in a coordinated manner. Depending on the geometry of the grasping points and the coordinated pulling, the robot can perform stable motion, over curved surfaces or around and over obstacles. We present simulations as well as experimental results performed on a prototype model.