In this book advanced balancing methods for planar and spatial linkages, hand operated and automatic robot manipulators are presented. It is organized into three main parts and eight chapters. The main parts are the introduction to balancing, the balancing of linkages and the balancing of robot manipulators. The review of state-of-the-art literature including more than 500 references discloses particularities of shaking force/moment balancing and gravity compensation methods. Then new methods for balancing of linkages are considered. Methods provided in the second part of the book deal with the partial and complete shaking force/moment balancing of various linkages. A new field for balancing methods applications is the design of mechanical systems for fast manipulation. Special attention is given to the shaking force/moment balancing of robot manipulators. Gravity balancing methods are also discussed. The suggested balancing methods are illustrated by numerous examples.

This book covers the state-of-the-art technologies in dynamic balancing of mechanisms with minimum increase of mass and inertia. The synthesis of parallel robots based on the Decomposition and Integration concept is also covered in detail. The latest advances are described, including different balancing principles, design of reactionless mechanisms with minimum increase of mass and inertia, and synthesizing parallel robots. This is an ideal book for mechanical engineering students and researchers who are interested in the dynamic balancing of mechanisms and synthesizing of parallel robots. This book also: · Broadens reader understanding of the synthesis of parallel robots based on the Decomposition and Integration concept · Reinforces basic principles with detailed coverage of different balancing principles, including input torque balancing mechanisms · Reviews exhaustively the key recent research into the design of reactionless mechanisms with minimum increase of mass and inertia, such as the design of reactionless mechanisms with auxiliary parallelograms, the design of reactionless mechanisms with flywheels, and the design of reactionless mechanisms by symmetrical structure design.

This book presents new research results in the field of gravity compensation in robotic systems. It explores topics such as gravity compensation of planar articulated robotic manipulators; the stiffness modeling of manipulators with gravity compensators; the multi-degree-of-freedom counter-balancing; the design of actuators with partial gravity compensation; a cable-driven robotic suit with gravity compensation for load carriage; various compensation systems for medical cobots and assistive devices; gravity balancing of parallel robots. The volume demonstrates that gravity compensation methods continue to develop, and new approaches and solutions are constantly being reported. These solutions apply both to new structural solutions and to their new applications. Cobots, exoskeletons and robotic suits, assistive devices, as well as biomechanical systems are among the most promising applications and most pressing areas for further innovation.

The book explores the fundamental issues of robot mechanics for both the analysis and design of manipulations, manipulators and grippers, taking into account a central role of mechanics and mechanical structures in the development and use of robotic systems with mechatronic design. It examines manipulations that can be performed by robotic manipulators. The contents of the book are kept at a fairly practical level with the aim to teach how to model, simulate, and operate robotic mechanical systems. The chapters have been written and organized in a way that they can be red even separately, so that they can be used separately for different courses and purposes. The introduction illustrates motivations and historical developments of robotic mechanical systems. Chapter 2 describes the analysis and design of manipulations by automatic machinery and robots; chapter 3 deals with the mechanics of serial-chain manipulators with the aim to propose algorithms for analysis, simulation, and design purposes; chapter 4 introduces the mechanics of parallel manipulators; chapter 5 addresses the attention to mechanical grippers and related mechanics of grasping.

This volume presents select papers from the Asian Conference on Mechanism and Machine Science 2018. This conference includes contributions from both academic and industry researchers and will be of interest to scientists and students working in the field of mechanism and machine science.

This book highlights the latest innovations and applications in robotics, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the ROMANSY 2020, the 23rd CISM IFToMM Symposium on Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators. The ROMANSY symposium is the first established conference that focuses on robotics theory and research, rather than industrial aspects. Bringing together researchers from a broad range of countries, the symposium is held bi-annually and plays a vital role in the development of the theory and practice of robotics, as well as the mechanical sciences. ROMANSY 2020 marks the 23rd installment in a series that began in 1973. The event was also the first topic-specific conference of the IFToMM, though not exclusively intended for the IFToMM community.

This proceedings volume contains papers that have been selected after review for oral presentation at ROMANSY 2018, the 22nd CISM-IFToMM Symposium on Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators. These papers cover advances on several aspects of the wide field of Robotics as concerning Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators. ROMANSY 2018 is the 22nd event in a series that started in 1973 as one of the first conference activities in the world on Robotics. The first event was held at CISM (International Centre for Mechanical Science) in Udine, Italy on 5-8 September 1973. It was also the first topic conference of IFToMM (International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science) and it was directed not only to the IFToMM community.