Inferred end-point control of long reach manipulators

The problem of the end-point control of long reach manipulator systems, consisting of a dexterous manipulator carried by deployable structures, is addressed. Such systems can be important where a manipulator must perform a task in a difficult to reach location. Power line maintenance systems and the Space Station Freedom's external maintenance robot are examples. Their supporting deployable structures can exhibit substantial vibrations, making the system very difficult to control. Here, a sensor based control algorithm, called inferred end-point control is proposed. Simulation and experimental results show that it yields stable and accurate manipulator end-effector positioning control despite of vibrations of the system's supporting structure using easily obtained strain measurements.