Stiffness Oriented Tension Distribution Algorithm for Cable-Driven Parallel Robots

A novel criterion is introduced in this paper to determine the set of cable tensions for Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs) with the aim of maximizing the robot stiffness along a specific direction. Based on the feasible polygon of the CDPR and its stiffness matrix, an algorithm selects the set of admissible cable tensions leading to the smallest moving-platform displacement, the moving-platform being subject to an external wrench. The proposed tension distribution is implemented in a control scheme and experimented on a fully-constrained CDPR for a window cleaning application.