Winch-integrated mobile end-effector for a cable-driven parallel robot with auto-installation

A cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) is a robot in which rigid links are replaced with cables, unlike conventional serial or parallel robots. The main advantages of a CDPR are a relatively large workspace, high payload capacity, and high speed. Given the advantages of CDPR, it has recently been widely studied in the field of monitoring, construction, cleaning, and even rehabilitation. One of the major disadvantages of using a conventional CDPR is that the cables should be manually installed to the main frame prior to the operation of CDPR. This task can sometimes be dangerous and requires a heavy workload. This paper describes the development of a planar CDPR in which cables can be installed automatically using a winch-integrated end–effector that can move as a mobile robot. In addition, the paper describes a variable power transmission winch that changes the path of a power of actuator between a wheel and a winch. Using this mechanism, the number of main actuators and size of the CDPR can be significantly reduced. In this work, our first prototype is developed. A series of experiments demonstrates the viability of automatically installing cables using the proposed mechanism.