Coupling Effects in a Manipulator With Both a Flexible Link and Joint

The manipulator considered in this paper consists of a flexible link and a flexible joint. The coupling effect between link and joint deflections is investigated. The dynamic equations for the of manipulator are derived and analytical solutions are obtained. It is shown that the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a manipulator with both a flexible link and joint may be parametrized in terms of two ratios. One is the ratio of the moment of inertia of the link to that of the rotor and the other is the ratio of the link stiffness to the joint stiffness. Two special cases are discussed: (1) a manipulator with a relatively flexible link and a relatively rigid joint; and (2) a manipulator with a relatively flexible joint and a relatively rigid link.