An algorithm for dynamic object manipulation by a flexible link robot: Numerical solution and robustness

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on an online closed-loop (CL) approach for performing dynamic object manipulation (DOM) by a flexible link manipulator.

Design/methodology/approach

Toward above goal, a neural network and optimal control are integrated in a closed-loop structure, to achieve a robust control for online DOM applications. Additionally, an elegant novel numerical solution method will be developed which can handle the split boundary value problem resulted from DOM mission requirements for a wide range of boundary conditions.

Findings

The obtained simulation results reveal the effectiveness of both proposed innovative numerical solution technique and control structure for online object manipulation purposes using flexible manipulators.

Originality/value

The object manipulation problem has previously been studied, however, for the first time its accomplishment by flexible link manipulators was addressed just in offline form considering an open-loop control structure (Tarvirdizadeh and Yousefi-Koma, 2012). As an extension of Tarvirdizadeh and Yousefi-Koma (2012), the current research, consequently, focusses on a numerical solution and a CL approach for performing DOM by a flexible link manipulator.

Citation

Tarvirdizadeh, B., Alipour, K. and Hadi, A. (2016), "An algorithm for dynamic object manipulation by a flexible link robot: Numerical solution and robustness", Engineering Computations, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 1508-1529. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-06-2015-0145