Analysis of Motion and Internal Loading of Objects Grasped by Multiple Cooperating Manipulators

Abstract

The motion and internal loads induced on an object manipulated by two or more robotic mechanisms are con sidered. In particular, for a desired motion trajectory of the object, the question of load distribution among the arms is analyzed, with particular attention given to the internal loading of the object. A new representation of the load distribution problem is given by the introduction of a particular "nonsqueezing" pseudoinverse, which is shown to possess properties that expose the underlying structure of the problem. It is expected that by using this pseudoin verse new insight will be gained and necessary analysis simplified in a number of aspects of multiple manipulator research. A number of these aspects are detailed and illustrated using a two-armed example.