Dynamic modelling and control of a Tendon-Actuated Lightweight Space Manipulator

The Tendon-Actuated Lightweight Space Manipulator has advantages such as a large range of motion and lightweight when compared with conventional space manipulators. In this paper, dynamic modelling and controller design of a tendon-actuated manipulator are investigated. First, nonlinear coupling dynamic equations of the central body spacecraft and a four-degree-of-freedom tendon-actuated manipulator mounted on it are derived based on Kane's equation, and their controllers are then designed while considering the dynamic coupling. In addition, a tension analysis method is proposed that is subject to the tension constraints, and the actuators of the tendon-actuated manipulator are analysed. Numerical simulations indicate that the designed controller can achieve attitude stability of the central body spacecraft and endpoint trajectory tracking of the tendon-actuated manipulator. A feature of the tendon-actuated manipulator is its enlargement of the joint actuated torque, and a long link, tendon-actuated manipulator has more benefits relative to a conventional space manipulator.