Force and position control of grasp in multiple robotic mechanisms

One of the approaches to increase the dexterity of a robot manipulating system is a design philosophy that consists of multiple robotic mechanisms. Applications of such a collection of manipulators can be in the design of a dextrous end-effector, a reconfigurable fixture to locate and grip various sized objects, or cooperative robotic arms which through their coordinated motions are able to accomplish a given task. Although the applications of such a design philosophy are endless, many problems still remain to be addressed. One of these problems is the control of the contact forces (grasping forces) between the mechanisms and the position of the grasped object. This article addresses this problem. First, a model of the mechanisms in contact with the grasped object is postulated; second, the problem of controlling the grasping forces and the position of the grasped object is formulated in the linear multi-input/multi-output system, and, finally, a centralized optimal controller is proposed for controlling the desired variables. The results of this article are demonstrated using two examples. One of the main advantages of the proposed controller is that it also shapes the transient response of the grasping force, which is an important consideration in cases when grasping fragile objects. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Force and Position Control of Grasp in Multiple Robotic Mechanisms

One of the approaches to increase the dexterity of a robot manipulating system is a design philosophy which consists of multiple robotic mechanisms. Applications of such collection of manipulators can be in the design of a dextrous end-effector, a reconfigurable fixture to locate and grip various sized objects or cooperative robotic arms where through their coordinated motions, they are able to accomplish a given task. Although applications of such design philosophy are endless, there are many problems still remain to be addressed. One of these problems is the control of the contact forces (grasping forces) between the mechanisms and the position of the grasped object. This paper addresses this problem. First, a model of the mechanisms in contact with the grasped object is postulated; second the problem of controlling the grasping forces and the position of the grasped object is formulated in the linear multi-input/multi-output system and finally, a centralized optimal controller is pr..