Workspace Analysis of a Floating Multi-Robot Coordinated Lifting System

At present, the cranes used at sea have several shortcomings in terms of flexibility, efficiency, and safety. Therefore, a floating multi-robot coordinated lifting system is proposed to fulfill the offshore lifting requirements. First, the structure of the lifting system is established according to the lifting task, the kinematic model of the system is developed by using the D–H coordinate transformation, and the dynamic model is developed based on rigid-body dynamics and hydrodynamics. Then, the static and dynamic workspace of the lifting system are analyzed, and the solving steps of the workspace are given by using the Monte–Carlo method. The effect of the load mass and the maximum allowable tension of the cable on the workspace is examined by simulation. Results show that the lifting system has limited carrying capacity and a data reference for selecting the structural parameters by analyzing the factors affecting the workspace. Findings provide a basis for further research on the optimal design of structural parameters and the determination of safe configurations of the lifting system.