DYNAMICS OF A FLEXIBLE MULTI-LINK COSMIC ROBOT-MANIPULATOR

The problem of dynamic and kinematic control of the spatial movements of a flexible multi-link manipulator, mounted on a platform freely moving in cosmic space, is defined. Allowance for distributed properties of elasticity and inertia of the manipulator links is made, based upon the design model of the Euler–Bernoulli beam on the assumption that each element is in compound motion. A technique for the numerical construction of solutions for an essentially non-linear hybrid-type system of constituent equations is proposed. Examples of computer simulation of the dynamics of a two-link cosmic robot, manipulating a useful body, are considered. Comparisons are made between the results of calculations and data on the dynamic behaviour of a rigid cosmic manipulator with equivalent geometrical and inertial parameters.