Control of an elastic manipulator arm using load position and velocity feedback

The rotation of an elastic manipulator arm about one of its ends in the horizontal plane is investigated. A load is attached to the other end. The motion is effected by an electric motor. The control is constructed in the form of linear feedback on the position of the load, its velocity, and the angular velocity of the arm. The stability of the control process is investigated. It is shown that when there are no viscous damping forces proportional to the angular velocity of the arm, load position and velocity feedback leads to undamped oscillations of the system and the desired equilibrium position is not stabilized. Asymptotic stability domains in the feedback coefficient space when viscous damping is present are constructed. Comparison shows these domains to be smaller than corresponding domains for a completely rigid body.