Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!darwin.sura.net!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!agate!ames!aio!l44db!mike
From: mike@l44db.jsc.nasa.gov (Mike Ross)
Subject: Re: Fast/Flexible Manipulators 
Message-ID: <1993Nov24.132414.29615@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>
Keywords: Fast, Flexible, Manipulators
Sender: usenet@aio.jsc.nasa.gov (USENET News Client)
Organization: Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co.  Houston, TX.
References: <1993Nov23.124719@IASTATE.EDU>
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1993 13:24:14 GMT
Lines: 32

In article <1993Nov23.124719@IASTATE.EDU> bouton@IASTATE.EDU (Chad E Bouton) writes:
)
)I have read about 30 papers so far related to this topic, and it seems
)there is always at least one more new paper in the IEEE robotics journal
)each month.  The problem for me is that I want to have an application that
)is worthwhile.  I can imagine many pick and place type applications where
)a lightweight, fast, and flexible robot with minimal vibrations would be
)needed.  But my question is: Does the lightweight arm (which leads to a
)flexible arm) necessarily lead to faster operation.  I know motor
)dynamics play a big part in all of this and I have done some studying
)on that too.  I find this area fascinating, but I am concerned with
)finding a good real world application.
)

)I am interested to hear what others in this area think about the study


Manipulators designed for space operations must be lightweight, since it
costs $10000 to get each pound into orbit!  They don't need to be fast,
but they do need to be able to do with low power.  The Shuttle's 
Remote Manipulator System has problems with flexibility and settling
times for the oscillations induced by start-and-stop motion.  Flexibility
is nice in that it adds passive compliance, but it also can serve
to store unwanted energy in the arm links.

-mike

-- 
******************************** mike@l44db.jsc.nasa.gov ******
* Michael L. Ross/C33 | Lockheed Engineering & Sciences Co.   *
* Robotics Department | 2400 Nasa Rd. 1, Houston, TX 77058    *
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