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 si gnificant. The objective is to design a feedback control law so that t he position output variables and the force output variables of the rob ot follows the desired position and the desired force trajectories res pectively despite the presence of joint flexibility and actuator dynam ics. A systematic procedure is developed for designing a feedback cont rol law which ensures that the position variables track the desired po sition trajectories exponentially, and the force variables track the d esired force trajectories exponentially. The development of the contro l law is based on the model of a constrained robot system which includ es 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 significa nt.