3R4. Interaction Control of Robot Manipulators: Six Degrees-of-Freedom Tasks. - C Natale (Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Seconda Universita degli Studi di Napoli, Via Roma 29, Aversa, 81031, Italy). Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 2003. 108 pp. ISBN 3-540-00159-X. $49.95.
Reviewed by MV Gandhi (Quantech Global Services, 2123 University Park Dr, Suite 150, Okemos MI 48864).
This monograph summarizes advances in the field of robot control, which pertain to interactions between the robotic manipulator and its environment. Specifically, the author deals with the key problem in robotics research aimed at providing the control system with an ability to address both motion and force control for undertaking complex tasks.
The book provides a comprehensive overview of six-DOF interaction tasks, task space motion and impedance control, along with a laboratory experimental set-up in its introductory chapter. This is followed by a detailed discussion on task space motion control based on the resolved acceleration technique. A comparison of various control laws is summarized from a computational and performance point of view in addition to a perspective that explores the applicability of the control law. The topic of task space impedance control is addressed to discuss control strategies for managing the interaction of a single manipulator with its environment. Discussions are also targeted on redundant robots and experimental results highlighting the payoffs that accrue as a result of impedance control during interaction of a robot with its environment.
The chapter on task space force control is dedicated to the development of a control strategy to manage both interaction and motion, which permits regulation of both force and movement along constrained directions. The final chapter is devoted to the challenging problem of controlling a dual arm robotic system utilizing a loose cooperative and tight cooperative strategy. The loose cooperative control strategy is based upon a modular control architecture that builds upon the task interaction control schemes developed in the earlier chapters. The tight cooperative strategy is aimed at controlling the interaction of an object held by two arms with a compliant environment.
Interaction Control of Robot Manipulators: Six-Degree-of-Freedom Tasks is very well written in a concise and reader-friendly lucid manner. The development of equations, notations, and graphics is very easy to follow and very intuitive. The book provides adequate case studies and graphics to illustrate the theoretical underpinnings of the technical discussions. Also included are a good list of references and a brief overview of directions for future research. In summary, Ciro Natale has made an outstanding contribution through this book and his work will have a long-term impact on robotics research worldwide.
