Comparison of indices for stiffness performance evaluation

This paper addresses the problem of a numerical evaluation of the stiffness performance for multibody robotic systems. An overview is presented with basic formulation concerning indices that are proposed in literature. New indices are also outlined. Stiffness indices are computed and compared for a case study. Results are used for comparing the effectiveness of the stiffness indices. The main goal is to propose a performance index describing synthetically the elastostatic response of a multibody robotic system and also for design purposes.