Neural Network Compensation for Impedance Force Controlled Robot Manipulators

This paper presents the formulation of an impedance controller for regulating the contact force with the environment. To achieve an accurate force tracking control, uncertainties in both robot dynamics and the environment require to be addressed. As part of the framework of the proposed force tracking formulation, a neural network is introduced at the desired trajectory to compensate for all uncertainties in an on-line manner. Compensation at the input trajectory leads to a remarkable structural advantage in that no modifications of the internal force controllers are required. Minimizing the objective function of the training signal for a neural network satisfies the desired force tracking performance. A neural network actually compensates for uncertainties at the input trajectory level in an on-line fashion. Simulation results confirm the position and force tracking abilities of a robot manipulator.