Decentralized adaptive control experiments with the PUMA robot arm

Decentralized control has the advantages of low demand on computer resources and high-speed operation, since the subsystem controllers are implemented in parallel with one another. The authors introduce adaptation to counter the effects of nonlinear and trajectory dependent coupling among the robot joints which cause the independent joint dynamics to vary. They present the results of experimentation with a PUMA 560 arm using a decentralized adaptive control law. The experiments were specially selected for a high degree of intercoupling so that they could investigate how the adaptation mechanism responds.<
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