Dynamic hybrid position/force control of a flexible manipulator

A method is proposed whereby both the contact force exerted by a flexible manipulator and the position of the end-effector while in contact with a surface are controlled. Elastic deformations are approximated by means of B-spline functions. Dynamic equations of joint angles, vibration of the flexible link, and constraint force are derived. A controller for the hybrid position/force control of the flexible manipulator is designed on the basis of the singular perturbation method. Simulation results confirm that the controller performs very well.<
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