MAPPING A SPACE MANIPULATOR TO A DYNAMICALLY EQUIVALENT MANIPULATOR

In this paper, we discuss the problem of how a free-floating space man ipulator can be mapped to a conventional, fixed-base manipulator which preserves both its dynamic and kinematic properties. This manipulator is called Dynamically Equivalent Manipulator (DEM). The DEM concept n ot only allows us to model a free-floating space manipulator system wi th simple, well-understood methods, but also to build a conventional m anipulator system to experimentally study the dynamic performance and task execution of a space manipulator system, without having to resort to complicated experimental set-ups to simulate the space environment . This paper presents the theoretical development of the DEM concept, demonstrates the dynamic and kinematic equivalence, and presents simul ation results to illustrate the equivalence under open-loop and closed -loop control strategies.