Abstract
In this paper, a method is proposed whereby both contact force exerted by a flexible manipulator and position of end-effector while in contact with a surface are controlled. The elastic deformations of the flexible links are approximated by means of B-spline functions. Then, the dynamic equations of joint angles, vibration of the flexible links, and contact force are derived. A controller for the dynamic hybrid position/force control of the flexible manipulator is designed on the basis of the singular perturbation method. A set of experiments for the dynamic hybrid control of the flexible manipulator using a force sensor has been carried out. Several experimental results are shown.
