Vertical control for a 1DOF flexible robot based on a FEM model applicable for control-purposes

This paper presents a method of vertical feedback control for a 1DOF flexible robot. The control is based on a FEM model applicable for control purposes, where the chosen Generalized Coordinates (GC) are the curvatures at the nodal points where strain-gauges are placed. The control performs both dampening of vibrations and positioning of the tip. To obtain equilibrium in the whole workspace a curvature reference is generated online as a function of the joint-angle.