An experimental comparison of tradeoffs in using compliant manipulators for robotic grasping tasks

Controllers developed for control of flexible-link robots in hybrid force-position control tasks by a new singular perturbation analysis of flexible manipulators are implemented on an experimental two-robot grasping setup. Various performance criteria are set up and experimental results are discussed within that setting to show tradeoffs in using flexible link robots for grasping. We conclude that large flexibility can be controlled without too much additional effort, has performance comparable to rigid robots and possesses enhancing properties which make it attractive for use in certain types of applications.