Control of Physical Contact and Dynamic Interaction

Abstract

This paper considers the influence of physical contact and mechanical interaction on the dynamics and control of manipulators. Manipulation fundamentally requires contact with the object(s) being manipulated; contact implies mechanical interaction; and mechanical interaction can have a profound influence on manipulator dynamics and control - for example, controller stability is easily jeopardized. In many present robot applications the dynamic effects of physical contact may be neglected either because contact forces are relatively small or because they need not be controlled accurately. However, the dynamics of physical contact are likely to become more prominent as newer robot designs permit relatively larger payloads and robots are applied to tasks requiring more precise control of mechanical interaction, e.g., applications involving intimate physical interaction with humans such as haptic virtual environments or personal-care robots.