Energy-Saving Breakthrough in the Point-to-Point Control of a Flexible Manipulator

This study aims to contribute academically valuable insights into energy-efficient drives for the positioning control of flexible structures. It focuses on the point-to-point (PTP) motion control of a flexible manipulator to suppress residual vibration and reduce driving energy simultaneously. The driving energy for PTP motion is influenced by the initial deflection of the flexible manipulator. Considering this phenomenon, the study proposes a trajectory planning method for the joint angle of a flexible manipulator. In this method, the evaluation function is defined as the sum of drive torques, and its minimization through particle swarm optimization generates an optimal trajectory that minimizes drive energy and suppresses residual vibration. Numerical simulations indicate that significant energy savings can be achieved by actively deforming the manipulator. These simulation results are corroborated by experimental data, which demonstrate the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.