Position control of a compliant mechanism based micromanipulator

This paper addresses the modeling and control of a compliant micromanipulator for use in such fields as microsurgery, telesurgery, and microassembly. The unique flexure-based manipulator utilizes revolute flexure joints in achieving well-behaved kinematic characteristics, without the backlash and stick-slip phenomena that would otherwise impede precision control. A mathematical model of the micromanipulator is formulated, and a controller for positioning of the manipulator is derived. The model and resulting controller are unlike typical manipulator models and controllers since this manipulator is actually a controlled large range-of-motion structure with nonlinear structural dynamics. Following the development of the controller, computer simulations of the proposed controller on the manipulator are used to verify the positioning performance.