Cable stiffened flexible link manipulator

Flexible link manipulators (FLMs) have several advantages over rigid link manipulators (RLMs) in aspects such as mass and moment of inertia, energy consumption, and speed. However, they suffer from a major limitation of flexibility that affects precision of operation. Control algorithms that are currently used for RLMs cannot be directly applied to FLMs. Majority of research on FLMs has focused on how to eliminate or reduce the undesirable effects of flexibility by specially developed control algorithms. In this paper, we introduce a new design change that stiffens the flexible link manipulator using cables and minimizes the effect of flexibility while retaining the advantages of FLMs. Such cable stiffened flexible link manipulators have the advantage of allowing the use of existing control techniques designed for RLMs. Effectiveness of this new approach is shown through simulations and experiments.