Contact force control of three-dimensional flexible manipulator.

This paper compares force and strain feedback for a contact force controller implemented in a constrained flexible manipulator for three-dimensional motion. In the experiments, force inputs of -1, -2 and -3 N were supplied as targets along z-axis direction and the feedback methods compared for their ability in tracking the supplied force. From the results, strain feedback was able to correct for slippage on the contact surface due to increased input force. It was thus concluded that strain feedback is better than force feedback for the constrained flexible manipulator. As a general guideline, it was also found that recordings should be collected at tip of the manipulator instead of the root to reduce noise levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]