Advanced sensing and control for coordinated manipulation

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The proposed research is aimed at developing a fundamental understanding of mechatronic approaches to the design of industrial servo machines, with particular emphasis on sensors and sensing. In the design of industrial servo systems such as robots and assembly machines, a recent trend is to make them smaller and lighter for cost reduction and efficiency, which leads to an increase in structural flexibility and dynamic uncertainty. Also, operating two or more machines in a cooperative manner is receiving more attention as a solution to accomplish more complex tasks at reduced cost. These trends are imposing challenges on servo control, especially under the limited sensing of conventional machines that typically rely on the motor position signal only. The proposed research attempts to improve the performance of conventional approaches by exploiting modern sensor technologies along with enabling technologies such as MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and wireless communication. The research will study sensing of various signals in the drive train and associated servo machines that are not utilized in conventional practice, including acceleration, joint force and end-effector motion. The technical objectives of this research are 1) to develop a general architecture of a sensing rich drive train as a new paradigm for industrial servo systems, 2) to develop signal processing and decision making algorithms that take advantages of the sensed signals for performance improvement, and 3) to accommodate these algorithms to the coordinated control of multiple servo machines by encompassing the communication of sensed signals between servo machines. The basic approach will be to employ multiple low cost sensors and to explore the synergy that can be achieved through careful analysis of advantages and limitations of each sensor. The technical value resulting from this research will generate a broad impact on industries engaged in flexible automation, assembly and material handling. Also, the theoretical benefits coming from this research may bring a paradigm shift in the way we design and control servo systems.