Using wave variables for system analysis and robot control

Wave variables were originally introduced in the context of time delayed force reflecting teleoperation. Their use provides significant benefits for control, including robustness to arbitrary delays and an inherent hybrid construction, well suited for handling unknown passive environments. They also suggest a new perspective for analysis, presenting information from an alternative viewpoint. In this paper we explore the concept of wave variables in a more general robotic and mechanical setting, leading to alternate control approaches.