This web site describes an ongoing project in the laboratory for nonlinear systems control, department of mechanical and industrial engineering, at the University of Toronto: "Development of Smart Parallel Manipulator" . This porject focuses on dynamic modeling and active vibration control of a high speed planar parallel manipulator for electroinc manufusing smart structure technology, which is hence named as a "smart parallel manipulator".

During high-speed operations, parallel manipulators undergoes a significant level of vibration that adversely affects the productivity and trajectory control accuracy. Smart structure technology utilizes distributed smart material (e.g. piezoelectric materials) sensors and actuators connected to signal processors and controllers to control structural vibration by changing structural dynamic properties (e.g. damping property). Using Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) sensors and actuators distributed on flexible linkages, this smart parallel platform is able to identify and actively suppress unwanted vibration in real-time. Through active vibration control, operation speed of this parallel platform would be dramatically increased without sacrificing control accuracy.

Up to date, research activities have been performed in following four categories: FEA Modeling of Flexible Linkages, Substructuring Modeling of the Parallel Manipulator, Experimental Identification of the Parallel Manipulator, Active Vibration Control Design.