Effect of Intermediate Location and Time-Varying End Mass on the Dynamic Response of a Flexible Robot Manipulator in Tracing Multi- Straight-Line Path

This paper presents the effects of intermediate location and time-varying end mass on the dynamic response of flexible robot manipulator with rotating-prismatic joint in tracing multi-straight-line path. The tip end of the flexible robot manipulator traces a multi-straight-line path under the action of external driving torque and axial force. Flexible arm which consist of a rotating-prismatic joint, is assumed to be an Euler-Bernoulli beam carrying an end mass. The Lagrangian dynamics in conjunction with the assumed modes method is utilized in deriving the equations of motion. Effect of rotary inertia, axial shortening and gravitation has been considered in developing the dynamic model. Equations of motion are numerically solved by using the Runge-Kutta method. Numerical results of computer simulations for tip deflection are presented in graphical form. Physical trends of the obtained numerical results are discussed.