Control of an operator-mobile manipulator coordination system

Based on the study for a simple man/machine coordination system, a new type of coordination control called an interactive force control scheme was developed for an operator-mobile manipulator coordination system (OMMCS) based on a base force/torque sensor. In the interactive force control scheme, a robust force control of the manipulator and impedance control of the mobile platform are integrated to achieve nondestructive interaction between the operator, the manipulator and the mobile platform. Also, a robust position control was developed to minimize the effect of wheel slip on control performance. In simulation, the developed methods are compared for control performance on tracking and force regulation. Simulation results show the promise of the interactive force control that utilizes the impedance control based on a base force/torque sensor.