High speed, precision motion strategies for lightweight structures

Research on space telerobotics is summarized. Adaptive control experiments on the Robotic Arm, Large and Flexible (RALF) were preformed and are documented, along with a joint controller design for the Small Articulated Manipulator (SAM), which is mounted on the RALF. A control algorithm is described as a robust decentralized adaptive control based on a bounded uncertainty approach. Dynamic interactions between SAM and RALF are examined. Unstability of the manipulator is studied from the perspective that the inertial forces generated could actually be used to more rapidly damp out the flexible manipulator's vibration. Currently being studied is the modeling of the constrained dynamics of flexible arms

High speed precision motion strategies for lightweight structures

Work during the recording period proceeded along the lines of the proposal, i.e., three aspects of high speed motion planning and control of flexible structures were explored: fine motion control, gross motion planning and control, and automation using light weight arms. In addition, modeling the large manipulator arm to be used in experiments and theory has lead to some contributions in that area. These aspects are reported below. Conference, workshop and journal submissions, and presentations related to this work were seven in number, and are listed. Copies of written papers and abstracts are included

Experimental investigations of the effects of cutting angle on chattering of a flexible manipulator

When a machine tool is mounted at the tip of a robotic manipulator, the manipulator becomes more flexible (the natural frequencies are lowered). Moreover, for a given flexible manipulator, its compliance will be different depending on feedback gains, configurations, and direction of interest. Here, the compliance of a manipulator is derived analytically, and its magnitude is represented as a compliance ellipsoid. Then, using a two-link flexible manipulator with an abrasive cut off saw, the experimental investigation shows that the chattering varies with the saw cutting angle due to different compliance. The main work is devoted to finding a desirable cutting angle which reduces the chattering

Tradeoffs in manipulator structure and control. Part 1: Summary

The study of various aspects of manipulator design and control is summarized, focusing on the interaction of the structure's flexible dynamics and the dynamics of the joint control system, including specific information on modeling and design, modal analysis and control, and the flexible manipulator analysis computer program, FMAP

High speed, precision motion strategies for lightweight structures

Abstracts of published papers and dissertations generated during the reporting period are compiled. Work on fine motion control was completed. Specifically, real time control of flexible manipulator vibrations were experimentally investigated. A linear model based on the application of Lagrangian dynamics to a rigid body mode and a series of separable flexible modes was examined with respect to model order requirements, and modal candidate selection. State feedback control laws were implemented based upon linear quadratic regulator design. Specification of the closed loop poles in the regulator design process was obtained by inclusion of a prescribed degree of stability in the manipulator model. Work on gross motion planning and control is also summarized. A systematic method to symbolically derive the full nonlinear dynamic equations of motion of multi-link flexible manipulators was developed

Controlled motion in an elastic world. Research project: Manipulation strategies for massive space payloads

The flexibility of the drives and structures of controlled motion systems are presented as an obstacle to be overcome in the design of high performance motion systems, particularly manipulator arms. The task and the measure of performance to be applied determine the technology appropriate to overcome this obstacle. Included in the technologies proposed are control algorithms (feedback and feed forward), passive damping enhancement, operational strategies, and structural design. Modeling of the distributed, nonlinear system is difficult, and alternative approaches are discussed. The author presents personal perspectives on the history, status, and future directions in this area

Tradeoffs in manipulator structure and control. Part 4: Flexible manipulator analysis program

The Flexible Manipulator Analysis Program (FMAP) is a collection of FORTRAN coding to allow easy analysis of the flexible dynamics of mechanical arms. The user specifies the arm configuration and parameters and any or all of several frequency domain analyses to be performed, while the time domain impulse response is obtained by inverse Fourier transformation of the frequency response. A detailed explanation of how to use FMAP is provided