  This paper presents a kinematic definition of a serialized Stewart platform
designed for autonomous in-space assembly called an Assembler. The Assemblers
architecture describes problems inherent to the inverse kinematics of
over-actuated mixed kinematic systems. This paper also presents a methodology
for optimizing poses. In order to accomplish this with the Assembler system, an
algorithm for finding a feasible solution to its inverse kinematics was
developed with a wrapper for a nonlinear optimization algorithm designed to
minimize the magnitude of forces incurred by each actuator. A simulated version
of an Assembler was placed into a number of representative poses, and the
positions were optimized. The results of these optimizations are discussed in
terms of actuator forces, reachability of the platform, and applicability to
high-payload structure assembly capabilities.
