Decentralized adaptive fuzzy control of robot manipulators

This paper develops a decentralized adaptive fuzzy control scheme for robot manipulators via a combination of genetic algorithm and gradient method. The controller for each link consists of a feedforward fuzzy torque-computing system and a feedback fuzzy PD system. The feedforward fuzzy system is trained and optimized off-line by an improved genetic algorithm, that is to say, not only the parameters but also the structure of the fuzzy system are self-organized. Because genetic algorithm can operate successfully without the system model, no exact inverse dynamics of the robot system are required. The feedback fuzzy PD system, on the other hand, is tuned on-line using gradient method. In this way, the proportional and derivative gains are adjusted properly to keep the closed-loop system stable. The proposed controller has the following merits: (1) it needs no exact dynamics of the robot systems and the computation is time-saving because of the simple structure of the fuzzy systems; and (2) the controller is insensitive to various dynamics and payload uncertainties in robot systems. These are demonstrated by analyses of the computational complexity and various computer simulations.