Integrated mechanical/control design optimization of long-reach flexible macro/micro robots

Abstract Traditionally the mechanical and control design of robots are performed separately and based on different objectives. This paper provides a framework for the integrated/concurrent mechanical and control design of flexible macro/micro (M/m) robots. Nonlinear programming methods arc used for generating the optimal values of mechanical and control design variables. To illustrate the Integrated Design Method (IDM), and to establish its superiority over the Traditional Design Method (TDM), three design case studies are performed. The design constraints are provided, and a new performance measure is proposed for minimizing the tracking error of a flexible M/m robot.