Abstract: Minimizing joint-torques of a flexible redundant manipulator based on vibration suppression is researched. The factors which influence a flexible manipulator’s elastic dynamic responses are analyzed and a conclusion is drawn that a flexible manipulator’s dynamic performance can be improved by adjusting its joint kinetic parameters properly while its structural parameters remain unchanged. On this basis, by studying a flexible redundant manipulator’s joints motion, a method is presented for suppressing vibration of a flexible redundant manipulator by correctly choosing its self-motions. Then how to choose the self-motions which meet the need of suppressing vibration is analyzed, and it is found that a flexible redundant manipulator still has the second optimization capability on the basis of its vibration which has been reduced. A method is proposed for minimizing joint-torques of a flexible redundant manipulator based on vibration suppression by utilizing this second optimization capability. The results of some numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of this proposed method.

Key words: flexible redundant manipulator, joint-torque, vibration suppression, self-motion