Genetic design of kinematically optimal fine tuning Stewart platform for large spherical radio telescope

This paper presents a methodology for the design of optimal kinematical characteristics of Stewart platform using genetic algorithms (GAs). The optimal kinematics index which expressed by Jacobian matrix of Stewart platform is first deduced, and then the minimum of condition numbers of Jacobian matrix in the whole trajectory tracing workspace is used as the objective function. The constrained optimal design problem is transformed to unrestrained optimal one which is suitable to GAs by penalizing strategy, and the corresponding real-encoding scheme is used. This genetic methodology for optimal kinematical Stewart platform is illustrated by applying to design the fine tuning Stewart platform for large spherical radio telescope, and its validity is verified with the kinematic accuracy comparison of genetic-designed fine tuning platform with that of conventional Quasi-Newton optimal method. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.