Vibration control of a two-link flexible robot arm

Analysis and experimentation is described for a two-link apparatus in which both members are very flexible. Attention is focused on endpoint position control for point-to-point movements, assuming a fixed reference frame for the base, with two rotary joints. Each link is instrumented with acceleration sensing and is driven by a separate motor equipped with velocity and position sensing. The control perspective adopted is to implement a two-stage control strategy in which the vibration control problem for fine-motion endpoint positioning is considered separate from the gross-motion, large-angle slew problem. In the first stage the control law shapes the actuator inputsfor the large-angle movement in such a way that minimal energy is injected into the flexible modes, while in the second phase an endpoint acceleration feedback scheme is employed in independent joint controlfor vibration suppression at the link endpoints.     

The path precompensation method for flexible arm robot

This paper constructed a closed loop path precompensation method for a flexible arm robot. A torque computation method taking care of the elastic arm deformation was first proposed and discussed. A concept of partial deformation compensation was subsequently proposed to improve the torque profiles and the trajectory fidelity. The advantage of this concept was first shown by examples of planar trajectory. After the construction of the closed-loop path precompensation method for a flexible arm, the torque method and partial deformation compensation were incorporated to track the spatial trajectory. Numerical simulations were given to show the usefulness of the proposed concept and method.     

新型六自由度机械臂的运动学分析与仿真验证

针对新型机器人六自由度机械臂的构型特点,采用传统的D-H法建立机械臂的连杆坐标系和运动学方程.在此基础上对传统的逆运动学求解的解析法进行改进,对得到的多组解采用能耗最小原则进行优化得出最适合的一组解.用MTALAB/SIMULINK搭建仿真模型,验证所得结果的正确性并分析所得结果的误差,仿真结果表明针对于此种构型机械臂的逆运动学求解,该方法无误差、耗能小,为类似构型的机械臂逆运动学求解提供了思路.     

Regulation of a one-link flexible robot arm using sliding-mode technique

This paper is concerned with the application of sliding control’ to the regulation of a one-link flexible robot arm, with an arbitrary number of flexible modes. Slidingmode technique is applied to achieve a robust feedback linearization of the highly non-linear dynamic equation of the arm. Pole placement is then used to attain good dynamic response. An example is given to demonstrate the potential of the sliding method. This work serves as a first step towards a practical solution in the feedback control of flexible arms using the sliding technique.     

基于MATLAB的模块化机器人手臂运动学算法验证及运动仿真

针对由模块化关节构成的六自由度串联机器人手臂, 采用DH法对手臂的操作空间进行了描述, 得到了正运动学模型; 采用欧拉角表示手臂姿态, 得到了包含六个参数的用于表示手臂位姿的完备广义坐标, 并对欧拉角的几何关系进行了分析。针对SolidWorks虽然实体建模简洁方便但计算并非其强项的缺点, 编写相应接口程序, 将建立的手臂三维实体模型保留几何约束关系简化后导入MATLAB软件。基于MATLAB编写正逆运动学算法验证程序以及连杆驱动程序, 实现了手臂的仿真运动。通过仿真, 不仅更进一步验证了手臂正逆运动学解算的正确性, 而且非常直观地看出手臂末端在空间中运行的路径以及各关节的动作情况。机器人手臂正逆运动学算法正确性的验证及运动仿真为手臂的精确定位及其路径规划提供了必要的保证。     

Experimental control of a single-link flexible robot arm using energy shaping

Flexible-link robotic manipulators are mechanical devices whose control can be rather challenging, among other reasons because of their intrinsic under-actuated nature. This paper presents the application of an energy-based control design methodology (the so-called IDA-PBC, interconnection and damping assignment passivity-based control) to a single-link flexible robotic arm. It is shown that the method is well suited to handle this kind of under-actuated device not only from a theoretical viewpoint but also in practice. A Lyapunov analysis of the closed-loop system stability is given and the design performance is illustrated by means of a set of simulations and laboratory control experiments, comparing the results with those obtained using conventional control schemes for mechanical manipulators.     

Experimental two-axis vibration suppression and control of a flexible robot arm

This article focuses on the implementation of a dual-mode controller for the maneuver of a two-axis flexible robotic arm. The joint angle trajectory tracking is accomplished by proportional and derivative and feedforward controllers. Based on the pole placement technique, a linear stabilizer is designed for elastic mode stabilization in the plane perpendicular to each joint axis. The stabilizer is switched on when the trajectory reaches the vicinity of the terminal state. The effect of switching time of the stabilizer and varying payload on arm vibration are investigated. With the proposed control system, accurate joint angle tracking and elastic mode stabilization can be accomplished. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Simultaneous optimization of a two‐link flexible robot arm

Integrated structure–control design of a two‐link flexible robot arm is investigated in this article. The whole arm consists of two flexible links, a fixed joint, a moving joint, and a tip load. The arm is driven by the torque motors at the two joints to reach predefined tip positions and to suppress residual flexural vibrations. The links of the arm are modeled using the finite element method and the cross‐sectional dimensions of the beam elements are used as structural design variables. A sliding mode controller and a linear stabilizer are used to regulate the arm position. The structural and the control parameters of the whole arm system are optimized simultaneously using a genetic algorithm and the performance is compared with that of an arm with uniform links and an optimized control system. The simulation result shows that faster regulation and less weight of the arm system can be achieved by simultaneous optimization. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Learning local linear Jacobians for flexible and adaptive robot arm control

Successful planning and control of robots strongly depends on the quality of kinematic models, which define mappings between configuration space (e.g. joint angles) and task space (e.g. Cartesian coordinates of the end effector). Often these models are predefined, in which case, for example, unforeseen bodily changes may result in unpredictable behavior. We are interested in a learning approach that can adapt to such changes—be they due to motor or sensory failures, or also due to the flexible extension of the robot body by, for example, the usage of tools. We focus on learning locally linear forward velocity kinematics models by means of the neuro-evolution approach XCSF. The algorithm learns self-supervised, executing movements autonomously by means of goal-babbling. It preserves actuator redundancies, which can be exploited during movement execution to fulfill current task constraints. For detailed evaluation purposes, we study the performance of XCSF when learning to control an anthropomorphic seven degrees of freedom arm in simulation. We show that XCSF can learn large forward velocity kinematic mappings autonomously and rather independently of the task space representation provided. The resulting mapping is highly suitable to resolve redundancies on the fly during inverse, goal-directed control.     

Position control of a flexible gantry robot arm using smart material actuators

This article presents new feedback actuators that achieve accurate position control of a flexible gantry robot arm. Translational motion in the plane is generated by two dc motors and controlled by applying electric fields to electro‐rheological (ER) clutch actuators. On the other hand, during control action of translational motion, a flexible arm attached to the moving part produces undesirable oscillations due to its inherent flexibility. Oscillations are actively suppressed by employing feedback voltage to the piezoceramic actuator attached to the surface of the flexible arm. Consequently, an accurate position control at the end‐point of the flexible arm can be achieved. To accomplish this control goal, governing equations of the proposed system are derived and written as transfer functions. Transfer functions are used in design of a set of robust H_∞ controllers. Electric fields to be applied to ER clutch and control voltage for the piezoceramic actuator are determined via H_∞ methodology which is incorporated with classical loop shaping design technique. To evaluate effectiveness of the proposed control system, experiments for both regulating and tracking controls are undertaken. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Infinite dimensional observer for a flexible robot arm with a tip load

This note addresses observer design for a flexible robot arm with a tip load. The robot arm is modeled as an Euler–Bernoulli beam. The beam is clamped to a motor at one end and attached to a force actuator at the other. Based on boundary measurements, an exponentially stable observer is proposed. The existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions of the observer are proven using semigroup theory. The results are illustrated by simulation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society     

On the use of accelerometers in iterative learning control of a flexible robot arm

Iterative learning control (ILC) is applied to a robot arm with joint flexibility. The ILC algorithm uses an estimate of the arm angle, where the estimate is computed using measurements of the motor angle and the arm angular acceleration. The design of the ILC algorithm is evaluated experimentally on a laboratory scale robot arm with good results.     

The development of a fault-tolerant control approach and its implementation on a flexible arm robot

This article presents a robust sensor fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme and its implementation on a flexible arm robot. Sensor faults affect the system's performance in the closed loop when the faulty sensor readings are used to generate the control input. In this article, the non-faulty sensors are used to reconstruct the faults on the potentially faulty sensors. The reconstruction is subtracted from the faulty sensors to generate a 'virtual sensor' which (instead of the normally used faulty sensor output) is then used to generate the control input. A design method is also presented in which the virtual sensor is made insensitive to any system uncertainties (which could corrupt the fault reconstruction) that cannot fit into the framework of the model used. Two fault conditions are tested: total failure and incipient faults. Then the scheme robustness is tested and evaluated through its implementation on two flexible arm systems, one with a flexible joint and the other with a flexible link. Excellent results have been obtained for both cases (joint and link); the FTC scheme produced system performance almost identical to the fault-free scenario, whilst providing an indication that a fault is present, even for simultaneous faults.     

关节臂式坐标测量机运动学建模与误差分析

针对一种关节臂式坐标测量机,建立了测量机的四参数D-H运动学模型,并利用AutoCAD2008模拟画出测量机在某一位姿的姿态,同时由运动学模型数值计算出该位姿下测头的坐标值,与AutoCAD 2008作图时末端显示坐标值作比较,所得结果一样,验证了所建运动学模型的正确性.最后通过建立测量机运动学误差模型,以测头误差模量为考量基准,在MATLAB软件中建立了误差仿真系统,根据仿真结果绘制了关节空间的误差分布图,分析出关节转角小角度误差对测量机精度有较大的影响,这为测量机参数标定提供了理论基础.     

Sense-controlled flexible robot behavior

The creation of physical behavior by computational means has been approached differently by industrial and artificial intelligence robotics. Industrial robotics, considering fast response of a robot its most important characteristic, has equipped the robot with predefined, specific behavioral trajectories resulting in fast but inflexible behavior. Artificial intelligence robotics, claiming flexibility as the paramount robot feature, has employed inferred behavior whereby the robot itself determines behavioral patterns for tasks based on the robot's general knowledge about a task domain. Response is now flexible, but the response time is commonly badly degraded. This work defines an action propensity skill which generates flexibleand fast behavior. Flexibility is achieved by attaching perceptions in skills to guide behavior; fast response results from the direct activation of skills. The acquisition and generalization of skills happens under the supervision of a human teacher in an advice-taking mode into which the robot shifts from the execution mode after recognizing lacking competence for a given task. This paper defines such skills, describes an implemented skilled robot system, and discusses some simulation results.     

Control of an exoskeleton robot arm with sliding mode exponential reaching law

Robots are now working not only in human environments but also interacting with humans, e.g., service robots or assistive robots. A 7DoFs robotic exoskeleton MARSE-7 (motion assistive robotic-exoskeleton for superior extremity) was developed as an assistive robot to provide movement assistance and/or ease daily upper-limb motion. In this paper, we highlight the nonlinear control of MARSE-7 using the modified sliding mode exponential reaching law (mSMERL). Conventional sliding control produces chattering which is undesired for this kind of robotic application as it causes damage to the mechanical structure. Compared to conventional sliding control, our approach significantly reduces chattering and delivers a high dynamic tracking performance. The control architecture was implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) in conjunction with a RT-PC. In experiments, trajectory tracking that corresponds to typical passive arm movement exercises for single and multi joint movements were performed to evaluate the performance of the developed robot and the controller. Experimental results demonstrate that the MARSE-7 can effectively track the desired trajectories.     

Minimum-time control of a two-link robot arm

Minimum time paths for a two-link robot arm are determined so that the tip moves a specified distance, starting from rest and ending at rest. Two torquers are used, one at the shoulder and one at the elbow, each having bounded torque. The optimal locations of the two end points in the robot coordinate system are determined as part of the solution. The paths are found to be “bang-bang” in both controls. For distances that are small compared to the reach of the arm, the minimum time paths are asymmetric, changing to symmetric paths when the distance is just slightly less than the maximum reach of the arm. A new gradient algorithm for systems with multiple bounded controls was developed to solve the problem.     

Kinematics for the whole arm of a serial-chain manipulator

This paper provides a viewpoint for kinematics for the whole arm of a serial-chain manipulator with 2-d.o.f. rotational joints. An in-depth understanding of the duality between a rigid link and a 2-d.o.f. joint allows us to derive simple and geometric equations describing the manipulator kinematics. The obtained kinematic equations are analyzed in two ways compared with the Frenet-Serret formula of a spatial curve which is utilized for a reference shape of the manipulator. One way is based on limit analysis where we increase the number of joints while the total length of the manipulator remains constant. The other way utilizes an extended mechanism through the link-joint duality. The information presented in this paper is useful for mechanism design dynamic analysis, control design and motion planning of the manipulators in whole-arm manipulation.     

Efficient robot arm modeling for computer control

This article presents a comparative study of the required number of arithmetic operations necessary for computing robot arm models using the Denavit-Hartenberg symbolic notation and a proposed one. The proposed notation is based on the idea of describing the motion of a robot joint by a pair matrix and the geometry of a link by a shape matrix. This notation needs the use of two coordinate systems for each joint or link. The results prove that the proposed notation reduces the computation time of robot models. For a 6-degrees of freedom robot arm, the computation times of kinematic position, velocity, and dynamic models are reduced respectively by 20%, 5%, and 2%, respectively. The two notations have the same effects on computing the inverse models. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.