Position Tracking Controllers for Flexible Joint Robot

Background :

The flexible joint problem arises in robotic applications due to the imperfect transmission of actuator torque to the robot link. That is, the robot link position control problem is complicated by compliance in the connection between the actuator and the rigid robot link (arising from such causes as shaft flexiblities or flexibilities inherent to harmonic drives). The control of rigid-link flexible-joint (RLFJ) robot system is of great practical significance since the effects of joint flexibility can limit the robustness and performance of a given robot controller.

Video of 2-link robot tracking sinusoidal trajectory on both the links (2.07 Meg)

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Research Work :

• Designed controllers to compensate for joint flexibility and studied the peformance.
  
• • Partial State Feedback Exact Model Knowledge Controller (Full Order Model Based Backstepping)
    
  • Full State Feedback D.C.A.L Type Controller (Reduced Order Model Based)
    
  • Partial State Feedback D.C.A.L Type Controller (Reduced Order Model Based)
    
  • Linear P.D Controller
    
• Engineered and built pictured robot to study various flexible joint control schemes.