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The present paper proposes two controllers for solving a consensus problem to a given desired position of networks composed of a class of under actuated mechanical systems: flexible joints robots. One of the controllers makes use of joint (motor) velocity signals while the other only uses joint positions. The only assumption on the directed and weighted interconnection graph is that it is connected. Further, the interconnection may induce variable time-delays. The paper presents some experiments, using three 3-Degrees of Freedom manipulators, which show the performance of the proposed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a proportional plus damping injection (P + d) controller for bilateral teleoperators in the operational space. Unit quaternions are used to describe the end-effectors' orientation since they exhibit the well known property of being a singularity-free representation. The proposed controller does not need the measurement of the velocities, instead a passivity-based filter is used. Under the reasonable assumptions that the human operator and the environment define passive maps from force to velocity, it is proved that velocities and pose (position and orientation) errors between the local and the remote manipulators are bounded. Moreover, in the case that the human and the environment forces are zero, the velocities and pose errors converge asymptotically to zero. Finally, experimental validation using two robots of 6-Degrees-of-Freedom (DoF) shows the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is widely known that the problem of controlling a rigid bilateral teleoperator with time-delays has been effectively addressed since the late 80's. However, the control of flexible joint manipulators in a bilateral teleoperation scenario, with dynamic gravity compensation, remains an open problem. This work aims at filling this gap by presenting a new controller for bilateral teleoperators composed of a rigid local manipulator and a flexible-joint remote manipulator with dynamic gravity compensation and asymmetric variable time-delays in the communication channel. In order to dynamically compensate the gravity term, in the flexible joint manipulator, a change of coordinates which accounts for the joint and link gravity position drift is used. The rest of the controller is a simple PD scheme. Assuming that the human operator and the environment define passive maps from velocity to force, it is proved that velocities and local and remote position errors are bounded. Additionally, if the human operator and remote environment forces are zero then velocities asymptotically converge to zero and position tracking is established. Some simulations are presented in order to show the performance of the proposed controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an adaptive controller for the bilateral teleoperation of a system composed by a single local manipulator and multiple cooperative remote manipulators handling a common object. First, the nonlinear operational space dynamical behavior of the complete teleoperation system is derived. Then, under the assumptions that the remote manipulators are rigidly grasping a non-deformable object and that the communications may induce constant time-delays, it is proved that velocities and position-orientation error between the local manipulator end-effector and the object asymptotically converge to zero. Simulations results are included to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The problem of controlling a rigid bilateral teleoperator with time-delays has been effectively addressed since the late 80's. However, the control of flexible joint manipulators in a bilateral teleoperation scenario is still an open problem. In the present paper we report two versions of a proportional plus damping injection controller that are capable of globally stabilizing a nonlinear bilateral teleoperator with joint flexibility and variable time-delays. The first version controls a teleoperator composed by a rigid local manipulator and a flexible joint remote manipulator and the second version deals with local and remote manipulators with joint flexibility. For both schemes, it is proved that the joint and motor velocities and the local and remote position error are bounded. Moreover, if the human operator and remote environment forces are zero then velocities asymptotically converge to zero and position tracking is established. Simulations are presented to show the performance of the proposed controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present work reports a sufficient condition for the consensus of a network of nonidentical Euler-Lagrange (EL) systems with variable time-delays in the communications. The EL-systems are controlled by simple Proportional plus damping (P+d) schemes and the interconnection network is modeled as an undirected weighted graph. Additionally, for the case without delays, the paper reports a new Strict Lyapunov Function (SLF) for the closed-loop system. Experimental evidence, using three 3-Degrees-of-Freedom manipulators interconnected through the Internet, support the theoretical results of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]