Dynamic modelling of a single - Link flexible arm to be used as a sensing antenna

Abstract

The objective of this research is to design a sensing antenna, a robot based on a single - link flexible arm which will enable us to locate a contact position with an object in order to detect the precise shape of that object. In the first approach, this paper focuses on the dynamics of a single-link flexible arm. It was designed under the assumption that its mass was concentrated at the tip. A comprehensive dynamic model for the arm is derived with the Lagrangian Formulation in which the elastic characteristics of the arm are modeled using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and simulated using Matlab/Simulink ®. The governing equations of the model are nonlinear. A finite element model of the single-link flexible arm was developed and the deflection of the tip was determined in order to be compared with the theoretical solution and simulation. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.