Generalized Force-and-Energy Manipulability for design and control of redundant robotic arm

There is a possibility of remaining indication of microorganisms on Martian subsurface and therefore, a robotic arm mounted on an exploration robot is required to dig to a certain depth and collect appropriate sample to be analyzed. However, the environment on the surface of Mars is harsh and most of all, limited power is available from the solar panel. In this paper, FEMI (Force-and-Energy Manipulability Index) is proposed to evaluate a feasible arm configuration for low energy consumption in its soil sampling operation. FEMI is calculated by the combination of an energy manipulability of an arm and an external force generated at an end effector of the arm. The FEMI derives the most feasible configuration on the joint angles of the arm for each sampling point. The usefulness of the FEMI is confirmed through a numerical simulation of a robotic arm. The simulation also presents that the FEMI can be used to obtain mechanical parameters of the arm such as link length and motor power, that are optimally-designed for a certain mission.