Intelligent Friction Compensation: A Review

High-precision motion control is highly desirable in process and industrial automation, including the domains of machine tools, ultra-precision spindles, micro-manufacturing, biotechnology, disk drive read/write mechanisms, air-bearing positioning stages, etc. However, their performances are limited by various nonlinear factors in the actuators behind the applications, such as friction, creep, force ripples, and hysteresis. In this paper, we focus on the friction compensation schemes, reviewing literature focusing on the intelligent designs of friction compensation in motion control systems. Different types of friction models, from simple to complex structures, are reviewed, followed by detailed discussions on the friction compensation schemes. Finally, we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the methods in these two categories, and offer recommendations for possible research directions.