Implementation and Assessment of a Virtual Laboratory of Parallel Robots Developed for Engineering Students
Arturo Gil, Adrián Peidró, Óscar Reinoso, José María Marín
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION  (May 2014)
Ed. IEEE  ISSN:0018-9359  DOI:10.1109/TE.2013.2276951  BIBTEX:@Article{Gil2014tronedu, author = {Arturo Gil, Adri'an Peidr'o, 'Oscar Reinoso, Jos'e Mar'ia Mar'in}, title = {Implementation and Assessment of a Virtual Laboratory of Parallel Robots Developed for Engineering Students},  - Vol. 57 (2), pp.(92-98)

Resumen:





This paper presents a tool, LABEL, oriented to the teaching of parallel robotics. The application, organized as a set of tools developed using Easy Java Simulations, enables the study of the kinematics of parallel robotics. A set of classical parallel struc- tures was implemented such that LABEL can solve the inverse and direct kinematic problem of 5R, 3RRR, and Delta robots. An in- tuitive graphical user interface lets the student change the joint coordinates or Cartesian coordinates of the end effector while ob- serving a graphical representation of the robot. In addition, a set of five practical sessions based upon this tool was developed. During the practical sessions, the student analyzes the inverse kinematics of parallel structures and the direct kinematic problem. Moreover, LABEL makes it easy to analyze the singularities that appear in the solution of the inverse and direct kinematic problem. These singularities are analyzed through the use of a path planning ap- plication, which allows the user to plan a trajectory in the robot’s workspace. This helps the student to analyze the position and ve- locity of the end effector while observing the joint trajectories and speeds of the actuators. LABEL was implemented during the aca- demic year 2011–2012 and has been well accepted. Finally, an as- sessment of LABEL is presented.