Flexible Robot Manipulators

This book discusses the latest developmens in modelling, simulation and control of flexible robot manipulators. Coverage includes an overall review of previously developed methodologies, a range of modelling approaches including classical techniques, parametric and neuromodelling approaches and numerical modelling/simulation techniques.

Flexible robotic manipulators pose various challenges in research as compared to rigid robotic manipulators, ranging from system design, structural optimization, and construction to modeling, sensing, and control. Although significant progress has been made in many aspects over the last one-and-a-half decades, many issues are not resolved yet, and simple, effective, and reliable controls of flexible manipulators still remain an open quest. Clearly, further efforts and results in this area will contribute significantly to robotics (particularly automation) as well as its application and education in general control engineering. To accelerate this process, the leading experts in this important area present in this book the state of the art in advanced studies of the design, modeling, control and applications of flexible manipulators. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Flexible-link Manipulators: Modeling, Nonlinear Control and Observer (235 KB). Contents: Flexible-Link Manipulators: Modeling, Nonlinear Control and Observer (M A Arteaga & B Siciliano); Energy-Based Control of Flexible Link Robots (S S Ge); Trajectory Planning and Compliant Control for Two Manipulators to Deform Flexible Materials (O Al-Jarrah et al.); Force Control of Flexible Manipulators (F Matsuno); Experimental Study on the Control of Flexible Link Robots (D Wang); Sensor Output Feedback Control of Flexible Robot Arms (Z-H Luo); On GA Based Robust Control of Flexible Manipulators (Z-Q Xiao & L-L Cui); Analysis of Poles and Zeros for Tapered Link Designs (D L Girvin & W J Book); Optimum Shape Design of Flexible Manipulators with Tip Loads (J L Russell & Y-Q Gao); Mechatronic Design of Flexible Manipulators (P-X Zhou & Z-Q Xiao); A Comprehensive Study of Dynamic Behaviors of Flexible Robotic Links: Modeling and Analysis (Y-Q Gao & F-Y Wang). Readership: Researchers, lecturers and graduate students in robotics & automated systems, electrical & electronic engineering, and industrial engineering

Industrial automation is driving the development of robot manipulators in various applications, with much of the research effort focussed on flexible manipulators and their advantages compared to their rigid counterparts. This book reports recent advances and new developments in the analysis and control of these robot manipulators.

This book presents the most recent research advances in robot manipulators. It offers a complete survey to the kinematic and dynamic modelling, simulation, computer vision, software engineering, optimization and design of control algorithms applied for robotic systems. It is devoted for a large scale of applications, such as manufacturing, manipulation, medicine and automation. Several control methods are included such as optimal, adaptive, robust, force, fuzzy and neural network control strategies. The trajectory planning is discussed in details for point-to-point and path motions control. The results in obtained in this book are expected to be of great interest for researchers, engineers, scientists and students, in engineering studies and industrial sectors related to robot modelling, design, control, and application. The book also details theoretical, mathematical and practical requirements for mathematicians and control engineers. It surveys recent techniques in modelling, computer simulation and implementation of advanced and intelligent controllers.

The objective of this book is to provide those interested in the field of flexible robotics with an overview of several scientific and technological advances in the practical field of robotic manipulation. The different chapters examine various stages that involve a number of robotic devices, particularly those designed for manipulation tasks characterized by mechanical flexibility. Chapter 1 deals with the general context surrounding the design of functionally integrated microgripping systems. Chapter 2 focuses on the dual notations of modal commandability and observability, which play a significant role in the control authority of vibratory modes that are significant for control issues. Chapter 3 presents different modeling tools that allow the simultaneous use of energy and system structuring notations. Chapter 4 discusses two sensorless methods that could be used for manipulation in confined or congested environments. Chapter 5 analyzes several appropriate approaches for responding to the specific needs required by versatile prehension tasks and dexterous manipulation. After a classification of compliant tactile sensors focusing on dexterous manipulation, Chapter 6 discusses the development of a complying triaxial force sensor based on piezoresistive technology. Chapter 7 deals with the constraints imposed by submicrometric precision in robotic manipulation. Chapter 8 presents the essential stages of the modeling, identification and analysis of control laws in the context of serial manipulator robots with flexible articulations. Chapter 9 provides an overview of models for deformable body manipulators. Finally, Chapter 10 presents a set of contributions that have been made with regard to the development of methodologies for identification and control of flexible manipulators based on experimental data. Contents 1. Design of Integrated Flexible Structures for Micromanipulation, Mathieu Grossard, Mehdi Boukallel, Stéphane Régnier and Nicolas Chaillet. 2. Flexible Structures’ Representation and Notable Properties in Control, Mathieu Grossard, Arnaud Hubert, Stéphane Régnier and Nicolas Chaillet. 3. Structured Energy Approach for the Modeling of Flexible Structures, Nandish R. Calchand, Arnaud Hubert, Yann Le Gorrec and Hector Ramirez Estay. 4. Open-Loop Control Approaches to Compliant Micromanipulators, Yassine Haddab, Vincent Chalvet and Micky Rakotondrabe. 5. Mechanical Flexibility and the Design of Versatile and Dexterous Grippers, Javier Martin Amezaga and Mathieu Grossard. 6. Flexible Tactile Sensors for Multidigital Dexterous In-hand Manipulation, Mehdi Boukallel, Hanna Yousef, Christelle Godin and Caroline Coutier. 7. Flexures for High-Precision Manipulation Robots, Reymond Clavel, Simon Henein and Murielle Richard. 8. Modeling and Motion Control of Serial Robots with Flexible Joints, Maria Makarov and Mathieu Grossard. 9. Dynamic Modeling of Deformable Manipulators, Frédéric Boyer and Ayman Belkhiri. 10. Robust Control of Robotic Manipulators with Structural Flexibilities, Houssem Halalchi, Loïc Cuvillon, Guillaume Mercère and Edouard Laroche. About the Authors Mathieu Grossard, CEA LIST, Gif-sur-Yvette, France. Nicolas Chaillet, FEMTO-ST, Besançon, France. Stéphane Régnier, ISIR, UPMC, Paris, France.

A study of the latest research results in the theory of robot control, structured so as to echo the gradual development of robot control over the last fifteen years. In three major parts, the editors deal with the modelling and control of rigid and flexible robot manipulators and mobile robots. Most of the results on rigid robot manipulators in part I are now well established, while for flexible manipulators in part II, some problems still remain unresolved. Part III deals with the control of mobile robots, a challenging area for future research. The whole is rounded off with an appendix reviewing basic definitions and the mathematical background for control theory. The particular combination of topics makes this an invaluable source of information for both graduate students and researchers.