APPLICATIONS OF FUZZY-LOGIC IN THE CONTROL OF ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS

Fuzzy logic has been utilized at several hierarchical levels of a typi cal robotic control system. Four broad levels of application may be id entified - task design, system monitoring (including self-tuning and s elf-organization), information filtering and preprocessing, and in-loo p direct control. Even though the need for fuzzy logic is felt mostly at upper levels of the control system, the present applications are ma inly concentrated within the lowest level perhaps driven by convenienc e rather than necessity. This paper surveys several applications of fu zzy logic in the control of robotic manipulators. Applications are gro uped into four hierarchical categories, broadly corresponding to an ex isting architecture of a robotic control system. Such a classification can be beneficial in ascertaining the appropriateness of fuzzy logic for the specific control task.