When a robotic manipulator is mounted to a crane, boom or mobile platform,
it loses its accuracy and speed due to the compliance of the base. This pap
er presents a simple robust control strategy that will reduce mechanical vi
brations and enable better tip positioning. The control algorithm will use
the sensory feedback of the base oscillation to modulate the manipulator ac
tuator input to induce the inertial damping forces. Previous work by the au
thor has demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed concept using linear
analysis. This work extends to a more general case of a nonlinear multiple
link manipulator using acceleration feedback and one sample delayed torque.
A simulation and an experimental study show very promising results for a t
est bed consisting of a two-link manipulator and a compliant base.