A new design criterion for controlled multibody systems

A simple approach for robust integrated design of multibody systems (MBS) with decentralized control structure is proposed. The basic design concept is to use optimal trade-off relations between the given bounds of disturbances and the control force limits. The proposed criterion enables a decomposition of the overall design problem into a hierarchical sequence of design problems for the subsystems: mechanics, actuators, sensors, and controls. Several examples of two-, three-, and six-degree-of-freedom rigid MBS have been considered in order to verify the viability of the proposed design concepts