The Joint Vibration Analysis of a Multi-Link Surgical Manipulator

This paper presents a vibration analysis of a multi-link surgical micromanipulator joint, based on its detailed mathematical model. The manipulator’s prototype contains 6 links with the diameter of 8–10 [mm] and with the length of the modules of about 130 [mm]. It is driven by brushless servomotors with worm and planetary gears, for which the total transmission ratio is above 1/10000. Regarding the low efficiency of micro-robot drive systems and its vibrations, a reliable joint model and its performance is crucial for the development of a high-precision control system. To achieve the required accuracy, modelling framework has been enriched with an advanced model of friction. Simulation results are presented and discussed.