Robust-Adaptive Two-Loop Control for Robots with Mixed Rigid-Elastic Joints

In robotics, while rigid joints are common due to their accuracy and fast response ability, elastic joints are well- known for their safety when interacting with the environment. To harmonise the advantages of these joint types, robots with mixed rigid-elastic joints can be considered. In this paper, a robust-adaptive two-loop control algorithm is proposed to con- trol this type of hybrid robots when there are uncertainties in system parameters. In the outer loop, a robust control algorithm is proposed to deal with the uncertainties in the parameters of the joint dynamics, together with an adaptive controller for the rigid joints. In the inner loop, another robust control algorithm is proposed to handle the uncertainties in system parameters of the elastic joint’s motor contribution, and a similar adaptive control algorithm is presented to manipulate the elastic joints’ motors. The stability of the system is assured by Lyapunov’s stability theory. Finally, simulations are conducted to verify the proposed control algorithm.