Dynamics analysis of pilot's upper limb manipulation process

Abstract

A 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) model of a pilot's upper limb is established in this study. A kinematics analysis is performed by using the screw theory and the product of exponential formula. Kane's equation in screw form, which is a concise form with a definite physical meaning, is used to analyze the dynamic characteristics of a pilot's upper limb. In the Mathematica environment, the man-machine system consisting of a pilot and a joystick is taken as the analysis object to simulate the joystick pushing and pulling processes of a pilot at the 50th percentile of Chinese body dimensions. The analysis yields the angular velocity and angular acceleration curves of the joint, which indicate that the manipulation comfort is rather good. The actual posture data during the pilot manipulation process are measured. Through a comparison with the output data, the correctness of the simulation analysis is verified. The torque curve reflects that the torque of the shoulder joint is greater than that of the elbow joint, and the changing tendency conforms to the actual motion law. Therefore, the correctness of Kane's equation in screw form is verified. At the same time, the results can serve as a theoretical basis for evaluating a pilot's manipulation comfort and as an important reference for cockpit layout design.