Abstract
This paper introduces the dynamic modelling of a single-link flexible manipulator with two cables. The end-effector is attached at the distal end of the flexible link and tensed cables are used to suppress vibration. The flexible link is considered as E uler-Bernoulli beam and the cable as a massless spring. By applying the Hamilton's principle, a set of nonlinea r equations of motion are derived with two boundary constraints. A calculation method is proposed to determine the natural frequency of the singlelink flexible manipulator with cables. Simulation experiments are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Three non-dimensional parameters are introduced to investigate the effect on the natural frequency of the flexible system. An experimental verification is implemented and the actual frequencies are found to be in good agreement with bo th the ones based on the proposed dynamic model and obtained in simulations. The results show that the vibration is greatly suppressed by utili zing cables in the flexible-link manipulator, which demonstrates that a lightweight flexible system with cables has the potential to be employed in the fields of fast lightweight industrial manipulators, robotic arms for remote manipulation in space and bio-inspired engineering.