Analysis of active manipulator elements in space manipulation

The effects of spinning motors on the motion of robot manipulators on a mobile space platform are evaluated. The complete dynamics of a geared manipulator on a space platform, which includes the dynamic coupling from motor to link and the gyroscopic forces from the spinning motors, is derived. The complete dynamic model is compared to a model using the common approximation to geared manipulators. The results show that the effect of gyroscopic forces is negligible from the viewpoint of robot control but significant from the viewpoint of platform control. The motor gyroscopic forces result in significant changes in platform orientation and manipulator tip position that are not accounted for in current models of robot manipulation in space. The changes in platform orientation and manipulator tip position are independent of the speed of the motion.<
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