Validation of a Control Algorithm for Human-like Reaching Motion using 7-DOF Arm and 19-DOF Hand-Arm Systems

This technical report gives an overview of our work on control algorithms dealing with redundant robot systems for achieving human-like motion characteristics. Previously, we developed a novel control law to exhibit human-motion characteristics in redundant robot arm systems as well as arm-trunk systems for reaching tasks [1], [2]. This newly developed method nullifies the need for the computation of pseudo-inverse of Jacobian while the formulation and optimization of any artificial performance index is not necessary. The time-varying properties of the muscle stiffness and damping as well as the low-pass filter characteristics of human muscles have been modeled by the proposed control law to generate human-motion characteristics for reaching motion like quasi-straight line trajectory of the end-effector and symmetric bell shaped velocity profile. This report focuses on the experiments performed using a 7-DOF redundant robot-arm system which proved the effectiveness of this algorithm in imitating human-like motion characteristics. In addition, we extended this algorithm to a 19-DOF Hand-Arm System for a reach-to-grasp task. Simulations using the 19-DOF Hand-Arm System show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme for effective human-like hand-arm coordination in reach-to-grasp tasks for pinch and envelope grasps on objects of different shapes such as a box, a cylinder, and a sphere.

Non-linear Task-Space Disturbance Observer for Position Regulation of Redundant Robot Arms against Perturbations in 3D Environments

Many day-to-day activities require the dexterous manipulation of a redundant humanoid arm in complex 3D environments. However, position regulation of such robot arm systems becomes very difficult in presence of non-linear uncertainties in the system. Also, perturbations exist due to various unwanted interactions with obstacles for clumsy environments in which obstacle avoidance is not possible, and this makes position regulation even more difficult. This report proposes a non-linear task-space disturbance observer by virtue of which position regulation of such robotic systems can be achieved in spite of such perturbations and uncertainties. Simulations are conducted using a 7-DOF redundant robot arm system to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. These results are then compared with the case of a conventional mass-damper based task-space disturbance observer to show the enhancement in performance using the developed concept. This proposed method is then applied to a controller which exhibits human-like motion characteristics for reaching a target. Arbitrary perturbations in the form of interactions with obstacles are introduced in its path. Results show that the robot end-effector successfully continues to move in its path of a human-like quasi-straight trajectory even if the joint trajectories deviated by a considerable amount due to the perturbations. These results are also compared with that of the unperturbed motion of the robot which further prove the significance of the developed scheme.