Concurrent redesign of an underactuated robot manipulator

• Published in: Mechatronics (Oxford) Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 178 - 183
• Main Authors: Cruz-Villar, Carlos A., Alvarez-Gallegos, Jaime, Villarreal-Cervantes, Miguel G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer science; control theory; systems; Concurrent redesign; Control theory. Systems; Design optimization; Drives; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Linkage mechanisms, cams; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Minimum time; Pendubot; Physics; Robotics; Solid dynamics (ballistics, collision, multibody system, stabilization...); Solid mechanics; Minimum time; Concurrent redesign; Pendubot; Design optimization; Multimodel control; Positioning; Projected gradient method; Optimization; Robotics; Bang bang control; Manipulator; Linkage mechanism; Underactuation; Mechanical system; Pendulum; Dynamic programming
• ISSN: 0957-4158; 1873-4006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mechatronics.2008.09.002

An interesting problem in robotics is to minimize the required time to force a manipulator to travel between two specific points (positioning time). In this paper a concurrent structure-control redesign approach is proposed in order to find the minimum positioning time of an underactuated robot manipulator, by considering a synergetic combination between the structural parameters and a bang–bang control law. The problem consists in finding the structural parameters of the system and the switching intervals of the bang–bang control that simultaneously minimize the positioning time, subject to the input constraint and the structural parameter constraint. The concurrent structure-control redesign approach is stated as a dynamic optimization problem (DOP). The projected gradient method is used to solve the DOP. The effectiveness of the proposed concurrent redesign approach is shown via simulation and experimental results on an underactuated system called the Pendubot.