END-POINT CONTROL OF A 2-LINK FLEXIBLE MANIPULATOR

This article deals with the endpoint control of a lightweight, two-lin k planar manipulator with flexible links. Three types of control metho ds are presented. The first method is based on the computed torque tec hniques where the actuators and the angular position sensors are collo cated at the joints. The second method uses the deflections of the lin ks and the joint angles to control the angle of a selected point along each link. This method is referred to as the noncollocated control. T o add active damping to the flexible links, a third method that uses t he noncollocated control combined with a delayed deflection has been i ntroduced. Simulation studies have been conducted to compare the track ing performance of each method.