Optimal motion trajectories are calculated for an advanced six-sectional branched manipulator with two fingers. It serves as a prototype model for an artificial hand containing all relevant technical challenges. Currently severe limitations are induced by the drives of the micro-joints, which are either slow or can produce only low specific forces. A possible solution are joints driven by weak, but fast, and strong, but slow, actuators acting in parallel; mathematically this leads to a problem of rivalling controls. Not only the control amplitudes, but also the rate of change of the controls is constrained. This case is not covered by the classical control theory. A new approach is proposed that transforms the problem into a piecewise defined, highly nonlinear multi-point boundary value problem for ordinary differential equations with non-constant dimension. A strict and careful mathematical analysis of the coupling of the single parts of the problem leads to new interior point conditions at the junction points. Simultaneously with the control of the manipulator, the dynamic loads on the elastic links of the robot are simulated. The time-dependent solution of the appropriate partial differential equations is by the method of lines. Hexaedral elements are used for the discretization in space, time integration is performed by Newmark's method.
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Optimal motion trajectories are calculated for an advanced six-sectional branched manipulator with two fingers. It serves as a prototype model for an artificial hand containing all relevant technical challenges. Currently severe limitations are induced by the drives of the micro-joints, which are either slow or can produce only low specific forces. A possible solution are joints driven by weak, but fast, and strong, but slow, actuators acting in parallel; mathematically this leads to a problem...
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