Modeling and Dynamic Parameter Identification of the SCHUNK Powerball Robotic Arm

Abstract

This paper presents the modeling and dynamic parameter identification of the 6-DoF SCHUNK Powerball LWA 4P robotic arm. Precise positioning, zero backlash and compact design of the joints which integrate two perpendicular axes, make this robot ideal for service robotics applications and human-robot interaction. Due to the significant effect of the lubricant temperature on the behavior of viscous friction in the harmonic drives, a systematic procedure is developed to overcome this problem. A series of experiments have been conducted to model the friction at each joint, then the procedure of identification has been applied based on an inverse dynamic model and linear least-square techniques. Finally, a verification trajectory is executed by the robot to validate the estimated parameters of the system.