Preface -- Acknowledgements -- List of abbreviations and notations -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Terminology -- 1.1 Links, joints and kinematic chains -- 1.2 Serial, parallel and hybrid robots -- 1.2 Methodology of structural synthesis -- 1.2.1 New formulae for mobility, connectivity, redundancy and overconstraint of parallel robots -- 1.2.2 Evolutionary morphology approach -- 1.2.3 Types of parallel robots with respect to motion coupling -- 1.3 Parallel robots with planar motion of the moving platform -- 2 Overconstrained planar parallel robots with coupled motions -- 2.1 Basic solutions -- 2.1.1 Fully-parallel solutions -- 2.1.2 Non fully-parallel solutions -- 2.2 Derived solutions -- 3 Non overconstrained planar parallel robots with coupled motions -- 3.1 Fully-parallel solutions -- 3.2 Non fully-parallel solutions -- 4 Planar parallel robots with uncoupled motions -- 4.1 Overconstrained solutions -- 4.1.1 Basic solutions -- 4.1.2 Derived solutions -- 4.2 Non overconstrained solutions -- 5 Maximally regular planar parallel robots -- 5.1 Overconstrained solutions -- 5.1.1 Basic solutions -- 5.1.2 Derived solutions -- 5.2 Non overconstrained solutions -- 6 Spatial PMs with coupled planar motion of the moving platform -- 6.1 Overconstrained solutions -- 6.1.1 Basic solutions -- 6.1.2 Derived solutions -- 6.2 Non overconstrained solutions -- 7 Spatial PMs with uncoupled planar motion of the moving platform -- 7.1 Overconstrained solutions -- 6.1.1 Basic solutions -- 7.1.2 Derived solutions -- 7.2 Non overconstrained solutions -- 8 Maximally regular SPMs with planar motion of the movingPlatform -- 8.1 Overconstrained solutions -- 5.1.1 Basic solutions -- 8.1.2 Derived solutions -- 5.2 Non overconstrained solutions -- References -- Index.

This book represents the third part of a larger work dedicated to the structural synthesis of parallel robots. The originality of this work resides in the fact that it combines the new formulae for mobility, connectivity, redundancy and overconstraints, and the evolutionary morphology in a unified approach of structural synthesis giving interesting innovative solutions for parallel robotic manipulators. This is the first book of robotics presenting solutions of coupled, decoupled, uncoupled, fully-isotropic and maximally regular parallel robotic manipulators with planar motion of the moving platform systematically generated by using the structural synthesis approach proposed in Part 1. Non-redundant/redundant, overconstrained/isostatic solutions with simple/complex limbs actuated by linear/rotary actuators with/without idle mobilities are proposed. Many solutions are presented here for the first time in the literature. The author had to make a difficult and challenging choice between protecting these solutions through patents, and releasing them directly into the public domain. The second option was adopted by publishing them in various recent scientific publications and mainly in this book. In this way, the author hopes to contribute to a rapid and widespread implementation of these solutions in future industrial products.