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Zero-power balancing a two-link robot manipulator for a predefined point-to-point task

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Abstract

In this paper, a new balancing approach called “zero-power balancing” (ZPB) method is presented for a two-link robot manipulator (TLRM) whose end-effector must move on a vertical plane between two given points repeatedly. To this purpose, a simple balancing mechanism which has two adjustable degrees of freedom is presented by which the required power will be zero and the proposed method can be applied for any specific boundary conditions. In order to solve the problem, balancing problem is formulated as an optimal control problem on which the required optimality conditions were derived using the Pontryagin’s minimum principle, leading to a two-point boundary value problem (TPBVP). By solving the obtained TPBVP, states, controls and the constant parameters of the counterweights were simultaneously determined. By considering the performance index as minimum effort, it was interestingly observed that the values of torque at joints vanished perfectly and identical counterweight’s specifications were obtained in forward and return motions, so that the manipulator could swing between the two given points freely. Capability of the proposed method to implement the swinging motion between the two desired points was illustrated via simulation. Due to friction, air resistance, and parametric uncertainties, it was practically difficult to implement the motion repeatedly and at no power consumption as an open-loop policy, but rather two small actuators are required to control the manipulator along the optimal trajectory. Finally, an experimental set-up was developed to validate the simulation results and illustrated the efficiency of the ZPB method.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Robotics and Control Lab, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Mojtaba Riyahi Vezvari & Amin Nikoobin

  2. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Ali Ghoddosian

Authors
  1. Mojtaba Riyahi Vezvari
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  2. Amin Nikoobin
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  3. Ali Ghoddosian
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amin Nikoobin.

Additional information

Recommended by Editor Ja Choon Koo

Mojtaba Riyahi Vezvari is a Ph.D. student of Mechanical Engineering in University of Semnan, Iran. He received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Semnan University, Iran, in 2012 and his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the same university, in 2014. His research interests are robotic, optimization, dynamic and control.

Amin Nikoobin is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical engineering at the University of Semnan, Iran. He received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Isfahan University of Technology, Iran, in 2001. He received his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology, in 2003 and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the same university in 2007. His research interests are robotic, control and dynamic.

Ali Ghoddosian is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Semnan. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Shahid Chamran University, Iran in 1989 and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology in 1993. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from I.I.T Delhi University, India in 2000. His research interests are finite element, structural optimization and numerical optimization.

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Vezvari, M.R., Nikoobin, A. & Ghoddosian, A. Zero-power balancing a two-link robot manipulator for a predefined point-to-point task. J Mech Sci Technol 34, 2585–2595 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-0533-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-0533-5

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