Efficient formulation approach for the forward kinematics of the 3-6 Stewart-Gough Platform

Abstract

Presents an approach to reduce the computational burden of solving the forward kinematics of the 3-6 (Stewart-Gough) Platform. The conventional forward kinematics has been formulated with trigonometric functions through many complicated steps. Based on tetrahedron geometry, the proposed formulation approach can allow intuitive derivation of the forward kinematics and considerable abbreviation of the number of calculations involved in the three constraint equations that must be calculated in the process of the forward kinematics. Consequently, the proposed formulation approach greatly reduces the computational burden. The feasibility and convergence of the formulation approach has been verified through a series of simulation results.