Design, Modelling and Simulation of Novel Hexapod-Shaped Passive Damping System for Coupling Cable Robot and End Effector in Curtain Wall Module Installation Application

The application of robotics in the construction industry has been growing recently. However, it suffers from the lack of construction dedicated systems. The industry is characterised largely by designers and researchers scrambling to adapt systems from other industries and trying to apply them to the construction industry. In the application of Curtain Wall Module (CWM) installations, 'HEPHAESTUS' is a European founded project that is engaged in designing a Cable Driven Parallel Robot (CDPR) automatic system capable of 1 mm positioning accuracy. It can perform other tasks such as drilling on the building by using a dedicated Modular End Effector (MEE). Conventional CWM installation from the outside of the building can be done in the case of 15 m/s wind but, to be competitive, the automatic cable robot system should be able to perform the task in similar outdoor situations. However, the cable robot – like other mechanical systems – has a specific stiffness which means that it could move slightly in the event of an external load such as wind, depending on the exerted load and stiffness. This movement should not be transferred to the final tool (e.g. the driller) while it’s performing tasks on the building. To prevent or minimise the effect of the external load on the final tool in the chain of the mechanically connected system, a damping system should therefore exist. This paper introduces the novel hexapod-shaped passive damper. The damping system will be mathematically modelled and simulated using the Matlab Simscape software. The simulation results give logical consequences on the design. The designed damper and model can be used in other applications or dimensions with some simple modifications.