Passive coordination of nonlinear bilateral teleoperated manipulators

Significant research has been aimed at the development and control of teleoperator systems. Two controllers are developed in this paper for a nonlinear teleoperator system that targets coordination of the master and slave manipulators and passivity of the overall system. The first controller is proven to yield a semi-global asymptotic result in the presence of parametric uncertainty in the master and slave manipulator dynamic models. The second controller yields a global asymptotic result despite unmeasurable user and environmental input forces. To develop each controller a transformation encodes the coordination and passivity requirements within the closed loop system. The coordinated system is forced to track a dynamic system to assist in meeting all control objectives. Finally, continuous nonlinear integral feedback terms are used to accommodate for incomplete system knowledge for both of the controllers. Lyapunov-based techniques are used to prove that all control objectives are met and that all signals are bounded