Novel Algorithm for Position/Force Control of Multi-DOF Robotic Systems

The paper introduces a novel control strategy for simultaneous control of position and interaction force for multi-degrees of freedom robotic systems (multi-DOF). The strategy enables both position control in free motion, and interaction force control during contact with an environment. In that sense, it differs from classical control algorithms which are switching between two different controllers, namely, position controller and force controller. The transition between position control mode and force control mode in the newly proposed structure is smooth, removing oscillations often present in the classical algorithms. This improves safety of the interaction between a controlled system and its environment.