Design Characteristics and Dynamic Modeling of a Cooperative Dual-Arm- Lock Manipulator

Recent developments in the area of smart structures indicate that variable geometry / stiffness truss network is of fundamental importance in designing smart transformable structures and systems for space applications. This paper presents the conceptual design and dynamic modeling of a cooperative re-configurabel dual-arm robotic structure called Dual-Arm Cam-Lock Manipulator. The Manipulator is designed to be capable of performing a wide variety of tasks by automatically reconfiguring itself to form a variable geometry, stiffness, and workspace robotic structure. Hence, it may also be referred to as a Variable Geometry Robot Manipulator (VGRM).