Telerobotic operations of structurally flexible, long-reach manipulators

As a part of the Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program, long-reach manipulators are being considered for the retrieval of waste from large storage tanks. Long-reach manipulators may have characteristics significantly different from those of typical industrial robots because of the flexibility of long links needed to cover the large workspace. To avoid structural vibrations during operation, control algorithms employing various types of shaping filters were investigated. A new approach that uses imbedded simulation was developed and compared with others. In the new approach, generation of joint trajectories considering link flexibility was also investigated.