含驱动器动力学的移动机器人编队自适应控制

针对含有驱动器及编队动力学的多非完整移动机器人编队控制问题,基于领航者-跟随者[l-ψ]控制结构,通过反步法设计了一种将运动学控制器与驱动器输入电压控制器相结合的新型控制策略。采用径向基神经网络（RBFNN）对跟随者及领航者动力学非线性不确定部分进行在线估计,并通过自适应鲁棒控制器对神经网络建模误差进行补偿。该方法不但解决了移动机器人编队控制的参数与非参数不确定性问题,同时也确保了机器人编队在期望队形下对指定轨迹的跟踪;基于Lyapunov方法的设计过程,保证了控制系统的稳定与收敛;仿真结果表明了该方法的有效性。     

Human-machine interaction force control: using a model-referenced adaptive impedance device to control an index finger exoskeleton

Exoskeleton robots and their control methods have been extensively developed to aid post-stroke rehabilitation. Most of the existing methods using linear controllers are designed for position control and are not suitable for human-machine interaction （HMI） force control, as the interaction system between the human body and exoskeleton is uncertain and nonlinear. We present an approach for HMI force control via model reference adaptive impedance control （MRAIC） to solve this problem in case of index finger exoskeleton control. First, a dynamic HMI model, which is based on a position control inner loop, is for- mulated. Second, the theoretical MRAC framework is implemented in the control system. Then, the adaptive controllers are designed according to the Lyapunov stability theory. To verify the performance of the proposed method, we compare it with a proportional-integral-derivative （PID） method in the time domain with real experiments and in the frequency domain with simu- lations. The results illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method in solving the nonlinear HMI force control problem in hand exoskeleton.     

An admittance shaping controller for exoskeleton assistance of the lower extremities

We present a method for lower-limb exoskeleton control that defines assistance as a desired dynamic response for the human leg. Wearing the exoskeleton can be seen as replacing the leg’s natural admittance with the equivalent admittance of the coupled system. The control goal is to make the leg obey an admittance model defined by target values of natural frequency, peak magnitude and zero-frequency response. No estimation of muscle torques or motion intent is necessary. Instead, the controller scales up the coupled system’s sensitivity transfer function by means of a compensator employing positive feedback. This approach increases the leg’s mobility and makes the exoskeleton an active device capable of performing net positive work on the limb. Although positive feedback is usually considered destabilizing, here performance and robust stability are successfully achieved through a constrained optimization that maximizes the system’s gain margins while ensuring the desired location of its dominant poles.     

Trajectory generation and control of a knee exoskeleton based on dynamic movement primitives for sit-to-stand assistance

This paper presents a novel control approach for a knee exoskeleton to assist individuals with lower extremity weakness during sit-to-stand motion. The proposed method consists of a trajectory generator and an impedance controller. The trajectory generator uses a library of sample trajectories as the training data and the initial joint angles as the input to predict the user’s intended sit-to-stand trajectory. Utilizing the dynamic movement primitives theory, the trajectory generator represents the predicted trajectory in a time-normalized and rather a flexible framework. The impedance controller is then employed to provide assistance by guiding the knee joint to move along the predicted trajectory. Moreover, the human-exoskeleton interaction force is used as the feedback for on-line adaptation of the trajectory speed. The proposed control strategy was tested on a healthy adult who wore the knee exoskeleton on his leg. The subject was asked to perform a number of sit-to-stand movements from different sitting positions. Next, the measured data and the inverse dynamic model of the human-exoskeleton system are used to calculate the knee power and torque profiles. The results reveal that average muscle activity decreases when the subject is assisted by the exoskeleton.     

基于无模型自适应的外骨骼式上肢康复机器人主动交互训练控制方法

设计了一种基于无模型自适应的外骨骼式上肢康复机器人主动交互训练控制方法.在机器人与人体上肢接触面安装力传感器采集人机交互力矩信息作为量化的主动运动意图,设计了一种无模型自适应滤波算法使交互力矩变得平滑而连贯;以人机交互力矩为输入,综合考虑机器人末端点与参考轨迹的相对位置和补偿力的信息,设计了人机交互阻抗控制器,用于调节各关节的给定目标速度;设计了将无模型自适应与离散滑模趋近律相结合的速度控制器完成机器人各关节对目标速度的跟踪.仿真结果表明,该控制方法可以实现外骨骼式上肢康复机器人辅助患者完成主动交互训练的功能.通过调节人机交互阻抗控制器的相应参数,机器人可以按照患者的运动意图完成不同的主动交互训练任务,并在运动出现偏差时予以矫正.控制器在设计实现过程中不要求复杂准确的动力学建模和参数识别,并有一定的抗干扰性和通用性.     

Estimation of Desired Motion Intention and compliance control for upper limb assist exoskeleton

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - In this paper, we have addressed two issues for upper limb assist exoskeleton. 1) Estimation of Desired Motion Intention (DMI); 2) Robust...     

一种机器人自适应阻抗控制算法

本文针对参数未知及负载不确定下的机器人运动控制问题，提出了一种形式非常简洁的自适应阻抗控制算法，它能使机器人系统跟踪目标阻抗并保证跟踪误差的渐近稳定性及机器人与外界整体系统的稳定性，本文还就无直接力反馈控制方法进行了讨论。     

Active torque-based gait adjustment multi-level control strategy for lower limb patient–exoskeleton coupling system in rehabilitation training

This paper proposes an active torque-based gait adjustment multi-level control strategy for lower limb patient–exoskeleton coupling system (LLPECS) in rehabilitation training. The proposed controller has three levels of high, middle, and low sub-controllers: gait adjustment layer (high-level), interaction torque design layer (middle-level), and trajectory tracking layer (low-level). The high-level sub-controller uses an adaptive central pattern generator (ACPG) to adjust the desired gait for rehabilitation training according to the patient’s active torque. In the middle-level sub-controller, the desired interaction torque is designed with neural networks and the estimated muscle torque by utilizing nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO). In the low-level sub-controller, a time delay estimation-based prescribed performance model free control is designed for the accurate tracking performance of the exoskeleton, so as to make the actual interaction torque track the desired value. An exoskeleton virtual prototype, which is developed in SolidWorks, has been imported to MATLAB/Simulink to conduct co-simulations in the SimMechanics environment. The results of co-simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy when the patient’s muscle torque is at different recovery degrees.     

下肢软质康复外骨骼机器人的模糊神经网络阻抗控制

针对脑卒中或交通意外等因素导致的运动功能障碍问题,设计了一种可用于康复训练的可穿戴式的软质膝关节外骨骼机器人．在重点介绍基于Hill肌肉模型的套索人工肌肉驱动系统设计和实时控制平台的基础上,分析了模糊神经网络阻抗控制算法的推导过程．最后,分别在定阻抗与变阻抗参数控制策略条件下,进行人机协同训练模式下的康复训练实验,并对比分析了康复外骨骼系统对受试者肌肉活性的影响．实验结果表明,定频率定幅值训练时的屈/伸扭矩分别增加了9.70%和9.06%,而变频率变幅值训练时的屈/伸扭矩提升了88.34%和57.68%．由此可知,选择符合人体生理肌肉刚度特性的阻抗模型可以改善下肢康复机器人系统的稳定性和安全性,提高人机交互的柔顺性和协调性．     

基于MCS算法的飞机起落架仿真研究

提出了一种新的自适应控制律(MCS算法)来描述飞机起落架系统,分析了MCS算法(Minimal Control Synthesis Algorithm)的优点,建立了自适应控制起落架的数学模型和线性状态控制方程.基于起落架系统的稳定性和鲁棒性,采用MCS的控制方法对起落架系统进行设计,得到了起落架的控制模型.最后通过Matlab仿真软件对采用MCS算法控制的起落架模型进行了仿真分析,仿真结果表明:MCS算法能够使起落架的控制变量快速达到理想的参考模型输出并且控制曲线平滑,同时控制系统具有很好的鲁棒性能,增强了系统的抗干扰能力.     

Control System Design for an Upper-Limb Rehabilitation Robot

Control system implementation is one of the major difficulties in rehabilitation robot design. The purpose of our study is to present newly developed control strategies for an upper-limb rehabilitation robot. The Barrett WAM Arm manipulator is used as the main hardware platform for the functional recovery training of the past-stroke patient. Passive and active recovery training have been implemented on the WAM Arm. A fuzzy-based PD position control strategy is proposed for the passive recovery exercise to control the WAM Arm stably and smoothly to stretch the impaired limb to move along predefined trajectories. An adaptive impedance force controller is employed in the active motion mode in which a fuzzy logic regulator is used to adjust the desired impedance between the robot and impaired limb to generate adaptive force in agreement with the change of the impaired limb's muscle strength. In order to evaluate the change of the impaired limb's muscle power, the impaired limb's mechanical impedance parameters as an objective evaluation index is estimated online by using a recursive least-squares algorithm with an adaptive forgetting factor. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed control strategies.     

Visual servoing of mobile robots for posture stabilization: from theory to experiments

On the basis of the kinematic model of a unicycle mobile robot in polar coordinates, an adaptive visual servoing strategy is proposed to regulate the mobile robot to its desired pose. By regarding the unknown depth as model uncertainty, the system error vector can be chosen as measurable signals that are reconstructed by a motion estimation technique. Then, an adaptive controller is carefully designed along with a parameter updating mechanism to compensate for the unknown depth information online. On the basis of Lyapunov techniques and LaSalle's invariance principle, rigorous stability analysis is conducted. Because the control law is elegantly designed on the basis of the polar‐coordinate‐based representation of error dynamics, the consequent maneuver behavior is natural, and the resulting path is short. Experimental results are provided to verify the performance of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptive fuzzy control of mechanicalbehavior for a two degree-of-freedomrobotic manipulator

Active compliance control of robotic manipulators is useful in making robots perform precision assembly operations. The essential requirement here is mechanical isotropy of the robot end-point. In this paper the problem of how to achieve this kind of mechanical behaviour is considered from aspects of impedance control and fuzzy set theory. The new fuzzy–impedance control law, which is suitable for real-time applications, is proposed for a two degree-of-freedom (2-d.o.f.) robotic manipulator. According to simulation results, the proposed control law can provide approximately isotropic behaviour of the robot end-point in the whole workspace.     

Relaxed individual control of skeletal muscle forces via physical human–robot interaction

This study develops a relaxed formulation of a method for controlling individual muscle forces using exoskeleton robots. Past studies have developed a muscle-force control method with very strict limitations on the conditions. These conditions will be removed, and the problem will be reformulated as a constrained optimization of several parameters. The optimization algorithm recognizes when a solution to the muscle control problem cannot be exactly realized, and finds the solution that minimizes the mean errors of the individual muscles between expected and desired muscle activation. This is demonstrated in a computer simulation of human arm dynamics and compared against the prior method to demonstrate its wider applicability. In addition, the control method is extended to resolve issues associated with a nonideal exoskeleton with incomplete torque application to the joints. A quasi-optimized motor-task that minimizes the errors in target muscles and nontarget muscles can be obtained. This paper presents theoretical analysis, simulation, and experimental results on the performance of the relaxed individual muscle control.     

Impedance Compensation of SUBAR for Back-Drivable Force-Mode Actuation

The Sogang University biomedical assistive robot (SUBAR), which is an advanced version of the exoskeleton for patients and the old by Songang (EXPOS) is a wearable robot developed to assist physically impaired people. It provides a person with assistive forces controlled by human intentions. If a standard geared dc motor is applied, however, the control efforts will be used mainly to overcome the resistive forces caused by the friction, the damping, and the inertia in actuators. In this paper, such undesired properties are rejected by applying a flexible transmission. With the proposed method, it is intended that an actuator exhibits zero impedance without friction while generating the desired torques precisely. Since the actuation system of SUBAR has a large model variation due to human–robot interaction, a control algorithm for the flexible transmission is designed based on a robust control method. In this paper, the mechanical design of SUBAR, including the flexible transmission and its associated control algorithm, are presented. They are also verified by experiments.      

A Human--Exoskeleton Interface Utilizing Electromyography

This paper presents a human--machine interface to control exoskeletons that utilizes electrical signals from the muscles of the operator as the main means of information transportation. These signals are recorded with electrodes attached to the skin on top of selected muscles and reflect the activation of the observed muscle. They are evaluated by a sophisticated but simplified biomechanical model of the human body to derive the desired action of the operator. A support action is computed in accordance to the desired action and is executed by the exoskeleton. The biomechanical model fuses results from different biomechanical and biomedical research groups and performs a sensible simplification considering the intended application. Some of the model parameters reflect properties of the individual human operator and his or her current body state. A calibration algorithm for these parameters is presented that relies exclusively on sensors mounted on the exoskeleton. An exoskeleton for knee joint support was designed and constructed to verify the model and to investigate the interaction between operator and machine in experiments with force support during everyday movements.      

Minimizing Human-Exoskeleton Interaction Force Using Compensation for Dynamic Uncertainty Error with Adaptive RBF Network

A critical issue in the control of exoskeleton systems is unknown nonlinear dynamic properties of the system. The improper estimation of those unknown properties can cause considerable human-exoskeleton interaction force during human’s movements. It is really challenging to exactly estimate the parameters of dynamic models. In this paper, we propose a novel exoskeleton control algorithm to both compensate for the dynamic uncertainty error and minimize the human-exoskeleton interaction force. We have built a virtual torque controller based on dynamic models of a lower exoskeleton and have used an approximation of a Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network to compensate for the dynamic uncertainty error. By doing so, we avoid using complicated force sensors installed on the human-exoskeleton interface and minimize the physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) force. Moreover, we introduce the prototype of our exoskeleton system, called ‘PRMI’ exoskeleton system. Finally, we validated the proposed algorithm on this system, and the experimental results show that the proposed control algorithm provides a good control quality for the ‘PRMI’ exoskeleton system by compensating for dynamic uncertainty error.     

Adaptive hybrid force/position control of robot manipulators using an adaptive force estimator in the presence of parametric uncertainty

This study is devoted to sensorless adaptive force/position control of robot manipulators using a position-based adaptive force estimator (AFE) and a force-based adaptive environment compliance estimator. Unlike the other sensorless method in force control that uses disturbance observer and needs an accurate model of the manipulator, in this method, the unknown parameters of the robot can be estimated along with the force control. Even more, the environment compliance can be estimated simultaneously to achieve tracking force control. In fact, this study deals with three challenging problems: No force sensor is used, environment stiffness is unknown, and some parametric uncertainties exist in the robot model. A theorem offers control laws and updating laws for two control loops. In the inner loop, AFE estimates the exerted force, and then, the force control law in the outer loop modifies the desired trajectory of the manipulator for the adaptive tracking loop. Besides, an updating law updates the estimated compliance to provide an accurate tracking force control. Some experimental results of a PHANToM Premium robot are provided to validate the proposed scheme. In addition, some simulations are presented that verify the performance of the controller for different situations in interaction.     

Control of constrained robots including effects of joint flexibility and actuator dynamics

We consider mathematical representations of constrained robot systems in which the effects of joint flexibility and actuator dynamics are significant. The objective is to design a feedback control law so that the position output variables and the force output variables of the robot follows the desired position and the desired force trajectories respectively despite the presence of joint flexibility and actuator dynamics. A systematic procedure is developed for designing a feedback control law which ensures that the position variables track the desired position trajectories exponentially, and the force variables track the desired force trajectories exponentially. The development of the control law is based on the model of a constrained robot system which includes the effects of actuator dynamics and joint flexibility. Thus using the force/position control law developed in this paper one can achieve better tracking performance in cases where such effects are significant.     

Extraction and implementation of muscle synergies in neuro-mechanical control of upper limb movement

This work faces the redundancy problem, a central concern in robotics, in a particular force-producing task by using muscle synergies to simplify the control. We extracted muscle synergies from human electromyograph signals and interpreted the physical meaning of the identified muscle synergies. Based on the human analysis results, we hypothesized a novel control framework that can explain the mechanism of the human motor control. The framework was tested in controlling a pneumatic-driven robotic arm to perform a reaching task. This control method, which uses only two synergies as manipulated variables for driving antagonistic pneumatic artificial muscles to generate desired movements, would be useful to deal with the redundancy problem; thus, suggesting a simple but efficient control for human-like robots to work safely and compliantly with humans.