Time-optimum control for some manipulators using maximum principle and dynamic programming

The problem of controlling a manipulator whose kinematic scheme corresponds to a working zone described by a cylindrical coordinate system is considered. The control is achieved by means of a torque, acting for a rotation, and two forces which act for the longitudinal and the vertical movements. By using a heuristic approach, suboptimal control laws which achieve time-optimum control have been established. The same problem is solved also by dynamic programming and the results are compared.