STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF 6-DOF CYLINDRICAL ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS FOR AUTOMATED AGRICULTURE

Research has been conducted on static industrial cylindrical manipulators used in controlled environments such as factories that generally use steel or aluminum for construction. This paper compares the performance of different engineering materials under various loading conditions when designing a cylindrical robotic manipulator for use in the automated precision agriculture industry. The 6-DOF cylindrical robotic arm is designed for automated agriculture in varied terrain found in farmlands. The manipulator requires high specific stiffness, and its structure must be resistant to collisions. The design of the arm has been analyzed with forces such as the impact of the forward collision rather than payload and inertial loads, which are the usual requirements from robotic arms. A comprehensive analysis of the structures compares the performance of various materials such as prepreg carbon fiber, aluminum 6061-T6, and steel 1045 using finite element method (FEM). Agricultural vehicles on which the arm is mounted may have to cross bund walls with slopes with gradients of up to 60°. As a result, the vector for collision forces may vary. As a result, simulations are carried out on the arm in different loading directions. Results of FEM simulations changing the materials and loading direction are compared, and the material that takes the required load while being cost-effective for agricultural purposes is determined.