TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Motion systems are mechanical systems that are used to hold and position a workpiece, such as in manufacturing, machining, or industrial processes, for example. Motion systems used to position a workpiece typically require a high degree of accuracy in order to achieve a highly precise positioning of the workpiece.

In order to be able to achieve a large number of working positions, a motion system may employ multiple actuator devices. The multiple actuator devices can be singly or jointly actuated in order to move and position a platform or portion holding a workpiece. Complicated actuator systems lead to additive tolerances and therefore to reduced positional accuracy. Further, complicated interactions between components can lead to poor stability within the system.

A drawback of prior art motion systems is that motion systems employing a large number of actuator devices suffer from accumulated error tolerances, resulting in complicated motion systems that cannot provide a high level of positional accuracy. Typical prior art motion systems provide micron order performance, at best, due to additive tolerance errors from six moving hardware axes. Another drawback of prior art motion systems is an inability to return to a set position when disturbed by an external force.

OVERVIEW

A precision tripod motion system is provided. The tripod motion system in one example includes a bottom plate including three spaced-apart single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) hinge portions, a top plate including three spaced-apart top TDOF joint portions, with the top plate configured to receive a workpiece, three linear actuators pivotally coupled to the three bottom SDOF hinge portions of the bottom plate and coupled to the three top TDOF joint portions of the top plate, with each linear actuator of the three linear actuators configured to change length over a linear actuation span, and a rotator component and/or a positioning table affixed to the top plate and the bottom plate. The tripod motion system is additionally coupled to a rotator component and a positioning table to provide six degrees of freedom of motion.

This Overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Technical Disclosure. It should be understood that this Overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

