VARIABLE STRUCTURE CONTROL OF TWO MANIPULATORS HANDLING A CONSTRAINED OBJECT

Abstract

The control of two manipulators handling a constrained object involves the control of the position of the object, the internal force used to grasp the object, and the constraint force due to the constraint surface. The robustness of the controller must be guaranteed when the system faces parameter uncertainties and or external disturbances. In this paper, a variable structure control law is proposed. This controller guarantees the asymptotic convergence of the position of the object, internal force, and constraint force to their desired values when uncertainties on the parameters and external disturbances are present in the system. Simulation results for two planar robots moving an object along a horizontal plane illustrate the fact that the proposed controller achieves the desired asymptotic tracking.