On the Accuracy of End-Point Trajectory Tracking for Flexible Arms by Noncausal Inverse Dynamic Solutions

Abstract

The problem of open-loop control of the end-point trajectory of a single-link flexible arm by an inverse dynamic solution is addressed in this paper. A finite element discretization of the system is used to obtain a set of ordinary differential equations describing the motion. Theoretical difficulties pertaining to the inverse problem for flexible structures are exposed, and it is shown that a noncausal solution for the actuating torque enables a tracking of an arbitrary tip displacement with any desired accuracy.