Flexible Robot Manipulators: Modelling, Simulation and Control

Industrial automation is driving the development of robot manipulators in various applications, with much of the research effort focussed on flexible manipulators and their advantages compared to their rigid counterparts. This book reports recent advances and new developments in the analysis and control of these robot manipulators.

After a general overview of flexible manipulators the book introduces a range of modelling and simulation techniques based on the Lagrange equation formulation, parametric approaches based on linear input/output models using system identification techniques, neuro-modelling approaches, and numerical techniques for dynamic characterisation using finite difference and finite element techniques. Control techniques are then discussed, including a range of open-loop and closed-loop control techniques based on classical and modern control methods including neuro and iterative control, and a range of soft-computing control techniques based on fuzzy logic, neural networks, and evolutionary and bio-inspired optimisation paradigms. Finally the book presents SCEFMAS, a software environment for analysis, design, simulation and control of flexible manipulators.

Flexible Robot Manipulators is essential reading for advanced students of robotics, mechatronics and control engineering and will serve as a source of reference for research in areas of modelling, simulation and control of dynamic flexible structures in general and, specifically, of flexible robotic manipulators.

Osman Tokhi is at the School of Engineering, London South Bank University (UK) where his research interests include active control of noise and vibration, adaptive/intelligent and computational intelligence techniques for modelling and control of dynamic systems, assistive robotics, and high-performance computing for real-time signal processing. He has over 700 publications in these areas. He is a founding member and current chair of CLAWAR Association. He is active in international robot standardisation within the ISO and IEC committees, and is currently editor in chief of Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control.

Abul K. Azad is at the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at the Northern Illinois University, USA. He has published around 110 technical papers and 3 edited books, and is in leadership roles with a number of professional bodies as well as managing editorial responsibilities for technical journals. He is active with standardization initiatives for IoT and mobile robotics and was a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). He is currently editor in chief of International Journal of Online Engineering.