{"id":{"repo_id":"uoit","oai_identifier":"oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/27"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uoit/oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/27","repository":{"repo_id":"uoit","name":"Ontario Institute of Technology","base_url":"https://ontariotechu.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Design and development of a novel lightweight long-reach composite robotic arm","abstract":"Metallic robotic arms, or manipulators, currently dominate automated industrial operations, but due to their intrinsic weight, have limited usefulness for large-scale applications in terms of precision, speed, and repeatability. This thesis focuses on exploring the feasibility of using polymeric composite materials for the construction of long-reach robotic arms. Different manipulator layouts were investigated and an ideal design was selected for a robotic arm that has a 5 [m] reach, 50 [kg] payload, and is intended to operate on large objects with complex curvature. The cross-sectional geometry of the links of the arm were analyzed for optimal stiffness- and strength-to-weight ratios that are capable of preserving high precision and repeatability under time-dependent external excitations. The results lead to a novel multi-segment link design and method of production. A proof-of-concept prototype of a two degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) robotic arm with a reach of 1.75 [m] was developed. Both static and repeatability testing were performed for verification. The results indicated that the prototype robot main-arm constructed of carbon fiber-epoxy composite material provides good stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on a 3-D computer model of the arm. Successful verification led to the use of the 3-D model to define the dimensions of an industrial-sized robotic arm. The results obtained indicate high stiffness and minimal deflection while achieving a significant weight reduction when compared to commercial arms of the same size and capability.","abstract_html":"Metallic robotic arms, or manipulators, currently dominate automated industrial operations, but due to their intrinsic weight, have limited usefulness for large-scale applications in terms of precision, speed, and repeatability. This thesis focuses on exploring the feasibility of using polymeric composite materials for the construction of long-reach robotic arms. Different manipulator layouts were investigated and an ideal design was selected for a robotic arm that has a 5 [m] reach, 50 [kg] payload, and is intended to operate on large objects with complex curvature. The cross-sectional geometry of the links of the arm were analyzed for optimal stiffness- and strength-to-weight ratios that are capable of preserving high precision and repeatability under time-dependent external excitations. The results lead to a novel multi-segment link design and method of production. A proof-of-concept prototype of a two degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) robotic arm with a reach of 1.75 [m] was developed. Both static and repeatability testing were performed for verification. The results indicated that the prototype robot main-arm constructed of carbon fiber-epoxy composite material provides good stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on a 3-D computer model of the arm. Successful verification led to the use of the 3-D model to define the dimensions of an industrial-sized robotic arm. The results obtained indicate high stiffness and minimal deflection while achieving a significant weight reduction when compared to commercial arms of the same size and capability.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Willis, Darrin"],"institution":"University of Ontario Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master of Applied Science (MASc)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Nokleby, Scott","Pop-Iliev, Remon"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-08-01","date_published":"2009-08-01","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:22Z","subjects":["metallic robotic arms","polymeric composite materials","long-reach robotic arms","carbon fiber-epoxy composite"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10155/27","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Nokleby, Scott","Pop-Iliev, Remon"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Willis, Darrin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2009-10-09T15:29:35Z","2022-03-29T16:33:29Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2009-10-09T15:29:35Z","2022-03-29T16:33:29Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2009-08-01"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Applied Science (MASc)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["metallic robotic arms","polymeric composite materials","long-reach robotic arms","carbon fiber-epoxy composite"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/27"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Metallic robotic arms, or manipulators, currently dominate automated industrial operations, but due to their intrinsic weight, have limited usefulness for large-scale applications in terms of precision, speed, and repeatability. This thesis focuses on exploring the feasibility of using polymeric composite materials for the construction of long-reach robotic arms. Different manipulator layouts were investigated and an ideal design was selected for a robotic arm that has a 5 [m] reach, 50 [kg] payload, and is intended to operate on large objects with complex curvature. The cross-sectional geometry of the links of the arm were analyzed for optimal stiffness- and strength-to-weight ratios that are capable of preserving high precision and repeatability under time-dependent external excitations. The results lead to a novel multi-segment link design and method of production. A proof-of-concept prototype of a two degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) robotic arm with a reach of 1.75 [m] was developed. Both static and repeatability testing were performed for verification. The results indicated that the prototype robot main-arm constructed of carbon fiber-epoxy composite material provides good stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on a 3-D computer model of the arm. Successful verification led to the use of the 3-D model to define the dimensions of an industrial-sized robotic arm. The results obtained indicate high stiffness and minimal deflection while achieving a significant weight reduction when compared to commercial arms of the same size and capability."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Design and development of a novel lightweight long-reach composite robotic arm"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Nokleby, Scott","Pop-Iliev, Remon"],"dc:creator":["Willis, Darrin"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2009-10-09T15:29:35Z","2022-03-29T16:33:29Z"],"dc:date.available":["2009-10-09T15:29:35Z","2022-03-29T16:33:29Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2009-08-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["Metallic robotic arms, or manipulators, currently dominate automated industrial operations, but due to their intrinsic weight, have limited usefulness for large-scale applications in terms of precision, speed, and repeatability. This thesis focuses on exploring the feasibility of using polymeric composite materials for the construction of long-reach robotic arms. Different manipulator layouts were investigated and an ideal design was selected for a robotic arm that has a 5 [m] reach, 50 [kg] payload, and is intended to operate on large objects with complex curvature. The cross-sectional geometry of the links of the arm were analyzed for optimal stiffness- and strength-to-weight ratios that are capable of preserving high precision and repeatability under time-dependent external excitations. The results lead to a novel multi-segment link design and method of production. A proof-of-concept prototype of a two degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) robotic arm with a reach of 1.75 [m] was developed. Both static and repeatability testing were performed for verification. The results indicated that the prototype robot main-arm constructed of carbon fiber-epoxy composite material provides good stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed on a 3-D computer model of the arm. Successful verification led to the use of the 3-D model to define the dimensions of an industrial-sized robotic arm. The results obtained indicate high stiffness and minimal deflection while achieving a significant weight reduction when compared to commercial arms of the same size and capability."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10155/27"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["metallic robotic arms","polymeric composite materials","long-reach robotic arms","carbon fiber-epoxy composite"],"dc:title":["Design and development of a novel lightweight long-reach composite robotic arm"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Applied Science (MASc)"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Ontario Institute of Technology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:22Z"}