An integrated control-structure design for manipulators with flexible links

摘要

Integrated optimization techniques for mechatronic systems aim at designing simultaneously the trajectory, the control system and the mechanical structure in order to minimize a performance index. The key advantage of such an integrated approach is the capability to search in a wide design space, to account for many dynamic couplings in an early design stage and to avoid simplifying assumptions which would induce a suboptimal design. This work considers that technique for robotic manipulators with flexible links. It is known that a flexible multibody system is often non-minimum phase, here, no restriction is imposed to avoid it. This allows a free choice of the optimization process to select a lighter weight controlled system. Furthermore, the amplitudes of the non-actuated degrees-of-freedom should be reduced in order to limit bodies deformation. The mechanical model is derived using a nonlinear finite element method, which is a useful approach to represent systems with elastic bodies. An optimal control problem is considered to perform that integrated analysis and its time dicretization relies the direct transcription method.