Robot Interacting with Complex Dynamic Environment

Abstract

The discussion about contact systems conducted in the previous chapters was based on one common idea — analysis of the robot with the constraints imposed to the motion of its end-effector. The constraints represented the robot environment. The discussion started with geometric constraints (Chapter 3). As a suitable example, the surface-type constraint was elaborated in detail. After that, elasticity in the contact zone was introduced: first, the deformation through stiffness and damping, and then elastodynamics through lumped masses. Although the problems discussed were rather complex, they could be simply described as “the robot’s end-effector in contact with the support”. It should be pointed out that many practical problems may be treated in this way (writing, assembly tasks, deburring, and other process operations, etc.). The restriction was that the object processed was placed on an immobile support or, if mobile, it moved according to a prescribed law that could not be affected by the robot action.