A force/torque relationship and its experimental verification for flexible link manipulators

A technique to determine the force and torque relationship between the joints and end effector of a general manipulator with flexible links is presented. A systematic technique which accounts for the link´s bending and torsion is used to determine the kinematic equations of the manipulator. The Jacobian matrix is modified to account for the links´ flexibility. Using the principle of virtual work, a force and torque relationship between the joints and end effector is obtained which accounts for the links´ flexibility. Results obtained experimentally are compared to computer simulations of the resulting force and torque relationships to demonstrate the validity of the theories.<>