Positioning improvement based on structural and control optimization for EAST articulated maintenance arm

Abstract Fast inspection and light maintenance capability is already a clear demand to control the tokamak condition and improve the efficiency of the experimental campaigns. EAST remote maintenance system, being collaboratively developed by ASIPP and CEA-IRFM, has been demonstrated to implement inspection and grasping tasks during the operational phase, in between plasma shots, keeping the vacuum and temperature conditions of the vessel. In order to ensure the complete routine operation on EAST, positioning performance of EAMA robot should be improved to be able to realize precise collision-free movement. The structural optimization has been implemented to improve the positioning accuracy of the end-effector. Meanwhile, an adjustable kinematic model used to predict robot localization errors caused by the deformation of long flexible robot was developed and a kinematic compensation scheme based on macro/minor manipulator was proposed in the end.