Enhancing End-Point Accuracy for Path-Following Motion of Articulated Redundant Arm

To enable decommissioning work at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the development of long-reach articulated arms is underway. In decommissioning work, by setting a target path in three-dimensional space and guiding the entire arm along this path, the end effector can reach the target position while minimizing the volume traversed. Therefore, path-following motion is effective for decommissioning work, as it is suitable for passing through narrow spaces and avoiding obstacles. However, conventional methods for calculating target joint angle in path following face the challenge of insufficient end-point accuracy. To improve this accuracy, we propose a target joint angle calculation method that achieves higher accuracy of tip positioning compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, we conducted hardware verifications using the proposed target joint angle calculation method and demonstrated its effectiveness.