Hi Mario,

You can try this:

ExportMotionPlan[poses_List, legoffsets_: {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}] :=
 Module[{framerate = 10, lengths, tabledata, time1, time2},
  lengths = {poses[[1, 2 ;; 7]]};
  time1 := poses[[1, 1]];

  Do[
   (
    time2 := wp[[1]];
    lengths = 
     Join[lengths, 
      Rest@PoseRange[{Last[lengths], wp[[2 ;; 7]]}, framerate, time1, 
        time2]];
    time1 = time2;
    ),
   {wp, Rest[poses]}];

  AppendTo[lengths, Last[lengths]];
  lengths = Map[PoseLegLengths, lengths];
  tabledata = 
   MapIndexed[Prepend[#, (First[#2] - 1)/framerate] &, lengths];
  {Export[
    FileNameJoin[{NotebookDirectory[], "DocumentationFiles", 
      "PlatformPath1.txt"}], {{"LegLengths", tabledata}}, 
    "ModelicaCombiTimeTable"], First[Last[tabledata]]};

  lengths = Map[# + legoffsets &, lengths];
  tabledata = 
   MapIndexed[Prepend[#, (First[#2] - 1)/framerate] &, lengths];
  {Export[
    FileNameJoin[{NotebookDirectory[], "DocumentationFiles", 
      "PlatformPath2.txt"}], {{"LegLengths", tabledata}}, 
    "ModelicaCombiTimeTable"], First[Last[tabledata]]}
  ]

I haven't tested this code, of course, because I don't have SystemModeler.

A good value to test the offsets would be -0.17035, the zero-position leg length.

Eric

Hi mario,

It's its own plan. The long and short plans are just longer or shorter. Their structure is the same.

But the motionPlan I implemented doesn't use the Block[]. That was necessary for the substitutions of dx and dtheta.

Inside the Blocks[] you will see the basic structure; a List[] of List[]s.

Eric

Hi Mario,

Coming to terms with the z,y and theta,phi interchanges requires some contemplation. It's like driving in England compared to the USA. You have to change the side of the road you call legal.

I tried the ExportMotionPlan[] with framerate=50 and it works OK. Don't forget that you have to re-compile it by hitting shift-enter after changing the framerate.

Eric

Hi Mario,

Mathematica seems to flip the meanings of theta and phi. According to the documentation for SphericalPlot3D:

(Pi/2 - theta) corresponds to "latitude"; theta is 0 at the "north pole", and Pi at the "south pole".

Phi corresponds to "longitude", varying from 0 to 2 Pi counterclockwise looking from the north pole.

My text books reverse the definitions of theta and phi.

So, with this in mind, there is nothing wrong with the PoseLegEndpoints[] function. If theta is zero, the vector is pointing towards the north pole, so the value of phi is immaterial.

Eric

Hi Mario,

I've been playing around with the RotationTransform. Using it in the form that the author does, where he is transforming the vertical vector, {0, 1, 0}, by another vector {Sin[\[Theta]] Cos[\[Phi]], Cos[\[Theta]], Sin[\[Theta]] Sin[\[Phi]]} cannot be generated by successive theta and phi transformations.

So, although my workaround seems to work, it doesn't give the behaviour that the author intended.

RotationTransform[{{0,1,0},{Sin[\[Theta]]Cos[\[Phi]],Cos[\[Theta]],Sin[\[Theta]]Sin[\[Phi]]}}]

seems to work.

Hey, but, in looking at it, if theta is 0, {Sin[\[Theta]]Cos[\[Phi]],Cos[\[Theta]],Sin[\[Theta]]Sin[\[Phi]]} evaluates to {0,Cos[theta],0}, so the phi value doesn't get through.

Could this be the problem?

Eric

Hi Mario,

It took a while to go through the code, but I finally get the problem. I don't know what it is; you may have found a bug in Mathematica. But if you use separate RotationTrransforms like this:

PoseLegEndpoints[{x_, y_, z_, \[Theta]_, \[Phi]_, \[Tau]_}] := 
 Table[Composition[
    TranslationTransform[{x, y, z} + {0, platformHeight, 0}], 
    RotationTransform[\[Theta], {1, 0, 0}],
    RotationTransform[\[Phi], {0, 0, 1}],
    RotationTransform[\[Tau], {0, 1, 0}]][p], {p, 
   relativePlatformPoints}]

the second angle calculates.

For a motion path of

testMotionPlan =
  Block[{dx = 0.05, d\[Theta] = 0.5},
   {
    {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
    {0, 0, 0, 0, d\[Theta], 0},
    {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
    {0, 0, 0, 0, -d\[Theta], 0},
    {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
    }
   ];

the platform returns to its rest position at the {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0} points.

I used the ExportMotionPlan[] function with the last line commented out, as above.

Use MatrixPlot[] to see how the leg lengths change.

Eric

Hi Mario,

I downloaded SystemModeler onto my XP computer. Not compatible, it seems.

I see now that the problem I was having with the code you supplied is that the Y axis is the vertical. The PoseLegEndpoints[] function seems to work OK, but the range of values that it works for is hard to determine using Manipulate (especially when everything is turned 90 degrees).

Is the problem here:

ExportMotionPlan[demoMotionPlan];

*Export::nodir: Directory C:\Documents and Settings\Eric Johnstone\Local Settings\Temp\wz4602\StewartPlatform\DocumentationFiles\ does not exist. >>*

*OpenWrite::noopen: Cannot open C:\Documents and Settings\Eric Johnstone\Local Settings\Temp\wz4602\StewartPlatform\DocumentationFiles\PlatformPath.txt. >>*

?

Or is that because I don't have SystemModeler? Is this the problem you are referring to?

Eric

Hi Eric, I'm referring to https://www.wolfram.com/system-modeler/industry-examples/industrial-manufacturing/stewart-platform-parallel-manipulator.html Yes it uses System Modeller, but Mathematica generates Motion Data and thats what I'm after. If you look at above example you'll see where the problem is. Inverse Kinematics generates motion data from Long Demonstration Plan. Any help is appreciated especially yours as you already worked with Stewart Mechanism. Thanks Mario

Maybe I should leave this to the experts, but I've dug my hole now.

As above,

platformHeight=1;
relativePlatformPoints := 
 Table[{Cos[\[Theta]], Sin[\[Theta]], 0}, {\[Theta],  Range[0, 5]/6 2 Pi}]

But the RotationTransform seems to be much simpler:

PoseLegEndpoints[{x_,y_,z_,\[Theta]_,\[Phi]_,\[Tau]_}]:=
Table[
    Composition[
        TranslationTransform[{x,y,z}+{0,0,platformHeight}],
        RotationTransform[\[Theta],{1,0,0}],
        RotationTransform[\[Phi],{0,1,0}],
        RotationTransform[\[Tau],{0,0,1}]
    ]
    [p], {p,relativePlatformPoints}
]

    ListPlot3D[PoseLegEndpoints[{0,0,0,0,0,0}]//N,PlotRange->{{-1.5,1.5},{-1.5,1.5},{-1,2}}]

    Manipulate[
     ListPlot3D[
      PoseLegEndpoints[{x, y, z, \[Theta], \[Phi], \[Tau]}] // N, 
      PlotRange -> {{-1.5, 1.5}, {-1.5, 1.5}, {-1, 2}}], 
        {{x, 0}, -1, 1}, {{y, 0}, -1, 1}, {{z, 0}, -1, 1}, 
        {{\[Theta], 0}, -1, 1}, {{\[Phi], 0}, -1, 1}, {{\[Tau], 0}, -1, 1}]