Motion Generation Utilizing Flexibility for Enhancing Velocity Based on Wave Control

In recent years, research in the field of robotics has made significant progress, especially in motion control. Mechanisms and control methods that enable robots to perform tasks like humans have been developed. Among these advancements, there has been increasing focus on integrating flexible beams into robotic links. Flexible beams are characterized by high safety due to their flexibility, which also enhances human-robot interaction. However, this flexibility has the potential to cause vibrations. Consequently, many studies have been conducted on vibration suppression techniques, and wave control is one of these approaches. Focusing on human movements, humans can utilize flexibility in tools or body parts effectively, such as golf swings and a throwing motions. Considering a swing motion, the force generated from the torso is transferred to the hands and the golf club, leveraging the flex of the club to increase the ball's travel distance. Based on this concept, this study proposes a control method that utilizes flexibility by controlling the reflected wave through the flexible structure. The proposed method is based on wave control, aiming to increase velocity on the load-side and suppress vibration at the convergence position. The effectiveness of the proposed method was validated through experiments.