Force/Velocity Control of a Pneumatic Gantry Robot for Contour Tracking With Neural Network Compensation

Abstract

In this paper, the application of a pneumatic gantry robot to contour tracking is examined. A hybrid controller is structured to control the contact force and the tangential velocity, simultaneously. A previous study provided controller tuning and model validation results for a fixed gain PI-based force/velocity controller. Performance was limited by system lag and Coulomb friction. New results demonstrate that even with perfect friction compensation, the limiting factor is the system lag. A neural network (NN) compensator was subsequently developed to counter both effects. Results for straight and curved edged workpieces are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the NN compensator and the capabilities of a pneumatic gantry robot.