One method for efficient dynamic modeling of flexible manipulators

This paper presents a new method for the generation of efficient kinematic and dynamic models of flexible robots. The method provides a more general approach to the problems facing the modeling of elastic robotic systems concerning mechanical configurations and kineto-elastodynamic effects. It is shown that the proposed model offers significant improvement in computational efficiency in comparison with already existing procedures. Both recursive relations suitable for numerical computations and compact symbolic expressions providing a background for symbolic model generation, are derived. As illustrative examples, the paper presents also some practical dynamic problems encountered with a new class of manipulator arms with long span.