Inverse Dynamics of Flexible Multibodies

Applications of artificial manipulation and robotics are steadily increasing in areas such as: microelectronics, agile space aircraft, vacuum mechatronics, satellite-mounted robots, biomedical sciences, teleoperation, assembly lines, manufacturing, and so forth. As a consequence, more demands are being placed on these systems, such as the need to design and use light and fast arms handling heavy payload with accuracy and low energy consumption. If the various links of a manipulator are to be considered rigid, they must be structurally stiff, and this leads to bulky and massive designs. If speed is not to be sacrificed, powerful and heavy actuators with high energy consumption are in turn required to move these arms. The most natural remedy is to use flexible multibodies with slender links.