Authors:
Michael Short
1
and
Kevin Burn
2
Affiliations:
1
Embedded Systems Laboratory,University of Leicester, United Kingdom
;
2
Control Systems Centre, University of Sunderland, United Kingdom
Keyword(s):
Robotic force control, model following control, stability.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Control and Supervision Systems
;
Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics
;
Intelligent Control Systems and Optimization
;
Mechatronic Systems
;
Nonlinear Signals and Systems
;
Real-Time Systems Control
;
Robotics and Automation
;
Signal Processing, Sensors, Systems Modeling and Control
Abstract:
To perform many complex tasks, modern robots often require robust and stable force control. Linear, fixed-gain controllers can only provide adequate performance when they are tuned to specific task requirements, but if the environmental stiffness at the robot/task interface is unknown or varies significantly, performance is degraded. This paper describes the design of a robotic force controller that has a simple architecture yet is robust to bounded uncertainty in the environmental stiffness. Generic stability conditions for the controller are developed and a simple design methodology is formulated. The controller design is tested on an experimental robot, and is shown to perform favourably in the presence of large changes in environmental operating conditions.