Control system for manipulator apparatus with resolved compliant motion control
First Claim
1. A control system for manipulator apparatus having a manipulator arm and a predetermined geometrical configuration and structure controllable in a plurality of axes, each controllable axis including drive arrangements for moving the manipulator structure in each of the respective axes, said manipulator structure including compliance intermediate outer portions of the manipulator arm and inner portions of the manipulator arm proximate the drive arrangements, said control system comprising:
- means for a feedback signal representing the velocity of the manipulator arm in at least one controllable axis, said feedback signal being sensed at and representing velocity at a point between said compliance and said drive arrangement;
means for generating a drive signal representing the torque of the drive arrangement applied to the manipulator structure in said one controllable axis; and
means responsive to said feedback signal and said drive signal for generating a synthesized feedback signal representing the velocity of the manipulator arm in said one axis at a point after said compliance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for manipulator apparatus having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes utilizes resolved compliant motion control to improve servo response characteristics. The position and velocity of the manipulator arm are controlled using load modeling to account for compliance in the arm and to synthesize feedback signals representing movement of a remote point of the arm to provide a loop bandwidth greater than is possible using feedback signals from inner less remote points of the manipulator that are closer to the drive points. The feedback signals are derived using predetermined combinations of force related feedback signals from the axis drive arrangements and position and velocity feedback signals of the manipulator apparatus at points closer to the main drive and support structure of the manipulator and before certain compliant portions of the manipulator arm. To further enhance response and control of the manipulator arm, load modeling is also used to provide controlled deceleration before the manipulator arm is brought to a stop during work operation.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A control system for manipulator apparatus having a manipulator arm and a predetermined geometrical configuration and structure controllable in a plurality of axes, each controllable axis including drive arrangements for moving the manipulator structure in each of the respective axes, said manipulator structure including compliance intermediate outer portions of the manipulator arm and inner portions of the manipulator arm proximate the drive arrangements, said control system comprising:
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means for a feedback signal representing the velocity of the manipulator arm in at least one controllable axis, said feedback signal being sensed at and representing velocity at a point between said compliance and said drive arrangement; means for generating a drive signal representing the torque of the drive arrangement applied to the manipulator structure in said one controllable axis; and means responsive to said feedback signal and said drive signal for generating a synthesized feedback signal representing the velocity of the manipulator arm in said one axis at a point after said compliance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for controlling a manipulator having a manipulator arm controllable in a plurality of axes and a driven support structure for the manipulator arm, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating command signals representing at least the desired velocity of the manipulator arm in at least a first axis at a predetermined point on the manipulator structure, said manipulator structure including compliance intermediate said predetermined point and the driven point of the support structure; synthesizing feedback signals corresponding to position and velocity of the manipulator arm in at least said first axis at said predetermined point on the manipulator structure in response to measured position and velocity signals from the manipulator structure derived from measurement at a point closer to the driven point of the support structure than said predetermined point and before said compliance; and controlling movement of the manipulator arm in a servo loop in accordance with the synthesized feedback signals and the command signals.
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8. A method for controlling a manipulator having a manipulator arm and drive means for moving said arm in a plurality of axes, said arm having support structure which includes compliance in at least one of said axes intermediate the outer end of said arm and the drive means for said one axis, which comprises the steps of:
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generating a command signal representing at least the desired velocity of said arm in said one axis during movement to a predetermined location; generating a velocity feedback signal corresponding to the actual velocity of said manipulator arm in said one axis at a point between said compliance and said drive means for said one axis; developing a quantity corresponding to the component of velocity lost in said compliance during movement of said arm in said one axis; utilizing said actual velocity feedback signal and said lost velocity quantity to provide a synthetic velocity feedback signal representing the actual velocity of said arm in said one axis at a point between said compliance and the outer end of said arm; and controlling movement of said manipulator arm in said one axis in accordance with said command signal and said synthetic velocity feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A control system for a programmable manipulator having a manipulator arm and drive means for moving said arm in a plurality of axes, said arm having support structure which includes compliance in at least one of said axes intermediate the outer end of said arm and the drive means for said one axis, comprising:
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means for generating a velocity feedback signal corresponding to the actual velocity of said manipulator arm in said one axis at a point between said compliance and said drive means for said one axis, means for devloping a quantity representing the portion of said actual velocity which is lost in said compliance during movement of said arm in said one axis; and means responsive to said velocity feedback signal and said quantity representing said lost velocity for developing a synthetic velocity feedback signal representing the velocity of said manipulator arm in said one axis at a point between said compliance and the outer end of said arm. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A control system for a programmable manipulator having a manipulator arm and drive means for moving said arm in a plurality of axes, said arm having support structure which includes compliance in at least one of said axes intermediate the outer end of said arm and the drive means for said one axis, said support structure having a relatively low first anti-resonant frequency due to said compliance, comprising:
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means for generating a velocity feedback signal corresponding to the actual velocity of said manipulator arm in said one axis at a point between said compliance and said drive means for said one axis, means responsive to said actual velocity feedback signal for developing a quantity representing the actual velocity of said arm in said one axis at a point between said compliance and the outer end of said arm, and servo-loop means for controlling said drive means for said one axis in accordance with an input command signal and employing said quantity as a synthetic velocity feedback signal, whereby the bandwidth of said servo loop means may be increased above said first anti-resonant frequency of said support structure. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification