Three-Dimensional Maneuvering and Control of Flexible Robots

This paper develops a general approach to the three-dimensional maneuver and vibration control of a robot in the form of a chain of flexible links. The equations for the rigid-body maneuvering motions are derived by means of Lagrange equations in terms of quasi-coordinates and the equations for the elastic deformations by means of ordinary Lagrange equations. The equations of motion are derived for the full system simultaneously, using recursive equations to relate the motions of a given link to the motions of the preceding links in the chain. The maneuver is carried out by means of joint torques and the vibration is suppressed by means of point actuators dispersed throughout the links. The controls are designed by the Liapunov direct method. A numerical example demonstrates the theoretical developments.