Joint-space impedance control for tendon-driven manipulators

US8060250B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US
• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations · US

Inventors

• Matthew J. Reiland · Oxford, US
• Robert Platt · Houston, US
• Charles W. Wampler, II · Birmingham, US
• Muhammad E. Abdallah · Houston, US
• Brian Hargrave · Dallas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 2008
• Grant date: Nov 15, 2011
• Expiry date: Jul 20, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B2219/39457
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for controlling tendon-driven manipulators that provide a closed-loop control of joint torques or joint impedances without inducing dynamic coupling between joints. The method includes calculating tendon reference positions or motor commands by projecting a torque error into tendon position space using a single linear operation. The method calculates this torque error using sensed tendon tensions and a reference torque and internal tension. The method can be used to control joint impedance by calculating the reference torque based on a joint position error. The method limits minimum and maximum tendon tensions by projecting the torque error into the tendon tension space and then projecting ii back into joint space.