Structures for Sensor-Based Robot Motion Control

Feedback of end-effector position to robot controllers provides an effective means for compensating for manipulator path errors and variations in workpiece geometry. Most current robot controllers do not provide the facility for real-time path correction using sensor feedback; this capability will be an essential element of future robot control systems. This paper presents a comparison of two alternative control structures, as applied to realistic models of robot mechanical and microelectronic control systems.