Control of free-flying space robot manipulator systems

New control techniques for self contained, autonomous free flying space robots were developed and tested experimentally. Free flying robots are envisioned as a key element of any successful long term presence in space. These robots must be capable of performing the assembly, maintenance, and inspection, and repair tasks that currently require human extravehicular activity (EVA). A set of research projects were developed and carried out using lab models of satellite robots and a flexible manipulator. The second generation space robot models use air cushion vehicle (ACV) technology to simulate in 2-D the drag free, zero g conditions of space. The current work is divided into 5 major projects: Global Navigation and Control of a Free Floating Robot, Cooperative Manipulation from a Free Flying Robot, Multiple Robot Cooperation, Thrusterless Robotic Locomotion, and Dynamic Payload Manipulation. These projects are examined in detail

Genetic algorithm optimization and control system design of flexible structures

This paper presents an investigation into the deployment of genetic algorithm (GA)-based controller design and optimization for vibration suppression in flexible structures. The potential of GA is explored in three case studies. In the first case study, the potential of GA is demonstrated in the development and optimization of a hybrid learning control scheme for vibration control of flexible manipulators. In the second case study, an active control mechanism for vibration suppression of flexible beam structures using GA optimization technique is proposed. The third case study presents the development of an effective adaptive command shaping control scheme for vibration control of a twin rotor system, where GA is employed to optimize the amplitudes and time locations of the impulses in the proposed control algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed control schemes is verified in both an experimental and a simulation environment, and their performances are assessed in both the time and frequency domains

Modeling and Control of Flexible Link Manipulators

Autonomous maritime navigation and offshore operations have gained wide attention with the aim of reducing operational costs and increasing reliability and safety. Offshore operations, such as wind farm inspection, sea farm cleaning, and ship mooring, could be carried out autonomously or semi-autonomously by mounting one or more long-reach robots on the ship/vessel. In addition to offshore applications, long-reach manipulators can be used in many other engineering applications such as construction automation, aerospace industry, and space research. Some applications require the design of long and slender mechanical structures, which possess some degrees of flexibility and deflections because of the material used and the length of the links. The link elasticity causes deflection leading to problems in precise position control of the end-effector. So, it is necessary to compensate for the deflection of the long-reach arm to fully utilize the long-reach lightweight flexible manipulators. This thesis aims at presenting a unified understanding of modeling, control, and application of long-reach flexible manipulators. State-of-the-art dynamic modeling techniques and control schemes of the flexible link manipulators (FLMs) are discussed along with their merits, limitations, and challenges. The kinematics and dynamics of a planar multi-link flexible manipulator are presented. The effects of robot configuration and payload on the mode shapes and eigenfrequencies of the flexible links are discussed. A method to estimate and compensate for the static deflection of the multi-link flexible manipulators under gravity is proposed and experimentally validated. The redundant degree of freedom of the planar multi-link flexible manipulator is exploited to minimize vibrations. The application of a long-reach arm in autonomous mooring operation based on sensor fusion using camera and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data is proposed.publishedVersio

Command shaping with constrained peak input acceleration to minimize residual vibration in a flexible-joint robot

Rapid point-to-point motion is limited when flexibilities exist in the system. In order to minimize the vibrations related to joint flexibilities, much work has been done, including modifying the system so that vibrations can be damped out more quickly, calculating the inverse dynamics of the system and constructing shaped input profiles that avoid system natural frequencies. In this work, the earlier fixed-time command shaping method has been extended to a peak-acceleration-constrained approach with two basis functions, the ramped sinusoid function and the versine function, such that the maximum acceleration is guaranteed without overconstraining the input profiles. The approach is developed and then validated with a two-link flexible-joint robotic arm. The effect of peak input acceleration and weighting factor on residual vibrations has been studied. A performance metric has been developed to assess residual vibrations. Input profiles with two basis functions are compared with each other, as well as the results of a bang-bang profile. All simulations and experiments have shown the effectiveness of the command shaping method with constrained peak input acceleration on residual vibration reduction. In addition, the ability to weigh the trade-off between actuation time and settling time warrants the optimization of total move time. Lastly, there exists an optimal weighting factor for each peak input acceleration to minimize the total move time and the total move time decreases with higher peak input acceleration

Multidimensional Trajectories Generation with Vibration Suppression Capabilities: the Role of Exponential B-splines

In this paper, exponential B-spline trajectories are presented and discussed. They are generated by means of a chain of filters characterized by a truncated exponential impulse response. If properly tuned, the filters applied to a vibrating plant are able to cancel the oscillations and in this sense the resulting splines are optimized with respect to the problem of vibrations suppression. Different types of exponential B-spline are illustrated, with one or more exponential filters in the chain, and the procedure for the interpolation of a given set of desired via-points, with a proper choice of the control points, is shown. As a matter of fact, exponential B-splines, generated by means of dynamic filters, combine the vibration suppression capability of input shapers and smoothing filters with the possibility of exactly interpolating some via-points. The advantages of these curves are experimental proved by considering the motion of a spherical pendulum connected to the flange of an industrial robot

Manipulation strategies for massive space payloads

The industrial and environmental applications for robots with a relatively large workspace has increased significantly in the last few years. To accommodate the demands, the manipulator is usually designed with long, lightweight links that are inherently flexible. Ongoing research at Georgia Tech into the behavior and design of these flexible links is discussed

INPUT SHAPING CONTROL TO REDUCE RESIDUAL VIBRATION OF A FLEXIBLE BEAM

In this paper, three control algorithms based on input shaping method are developed to suppress the residual vibration of a flexible beam. The flexible beam is modeled as an under-damped system. Three input shapers, ZV, ZVD, and ZVDD, are used to control the flexible beam. The three control algorithms are implemented by using the Mechatrolink-III motion system. The experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness of the three control algorithms