US Patent 11331789 Positioning system

A system and method for a planar positioning system for an output member, the system having a pair of x-coordinate linear carriages and a pair of y-coordinate linear carriages. The system has a guide mechanism for the pair of x-coordinate linear carriages and the pair of y-coordinate linear carriages. The system has a plurality of movement and constraining cables extending from the pair of x-coordinate linear carriages and the pair of y-coordinate linear carriages to the output member for driving the output, wherein the pair of x-coordinate linear carriages and the output member move in sync in the x-direction and the pair of y-coordinate linear carriages and the output member move in sync in the y-direction. A restraint mechanism restrains the output member in an additional degree of freedom besides the x- and y-directions. The restraint can be a cable uptake and release device.