A model based Iterative Learning Control method applied to an industrial robot

A synthesis algorithm for the filters in a first order ILC is presented and applied on an industrial robot. The proposed ILC synthesis method is evaluated using two experiments on the robot. The first is a one-axis experiment where the system can be seen as a single servo. A modeling experiment is done to give input to the synthesis algorithm and then ILC is applied to the single axis showing a dramatic improvement in trajectory following. In the second experiment ILC is applied to a more complex multi axes motion where the robot draws a circle in a plane. The evaluation of the result is done using a pen mounted on the robot and it is evident that also on the arm-side an improved motion can be achieved. In both experiments the error converges to a stable level in about 5 iterations. Since a model is desired for the synthesis, an extra iteration has to be done for the modeling experiment. In this particular case a good path following can therefore be achieved after 6 iterations.