Optimal Design of a Remote Center Compliance Device for Peg-in-Hole Assembly Using a Novel Multistrategy Whale Optimization Algorithm

In automated peg-in-hole assembly tasks, positioning and angular errors of robotic arms, as well as environmental variations, can cause excessive contact forces and lead to assembly failure. A remote center compliance (RCC) device is a passive error-compensation mechanism that corrects misalignments through deformation of its elastic shearing pads without requiring sensors or feedback control. To provide a systematic approach for identifying RCC designs that minimize contact forces while satisfying required boundary conditions, this article proposes a novel multistrategy whale optimization algorithm integrated with a surrogate model during the optimization process. The surrogate model reduces both the number and computational cost of finite element analyses. A prototype was fabricated using 3D printing, and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed RCC device effectively compensates for offsets of up to ±6 mm and angular deviations of up to ±4°. Under error conditions of −2 mm and −2°, the device reduced the maximum assembly force by 76% and 68%, respectively, compared with a commercial device, and by 93% and 70%, respectively, compared with the condition without an RCC device.