The dynamic modeling of a flexible single-link manipulator arm with consideration of backlash in the planetary gear reducer at the joint is presented, and the influence of backlash on the dynamic response of the system is evaluated. A 2K-H planetary gear reducer with backlash was employed as an example to discuss the dynamic modeling of the sub-model of the planetary gear reducer, and the sub-model of the planetary gear reducer was established based on the lumped mass method. The flexible manipulator was regarded as an Euler--Bernoulli beam, and the dynamic model of the flexible manipulator arm with backlash in the planetary gear reducer was determined from Lagrange's equations. Based on the this model, the influence of the backlash in the planetary gear reducer and excitation frequency on the dynamic response of the system were evaluated through simulation, and the results showed that the dynamic response of the system is sensitive to the backlash and the excitation frequency simultaneously, which provides a theoretical foundation for improvement of dynamic modeling and control of the flexible manipulator arm.
