A decentralized nonlinear three-term controller for manipulator trajectory tracking

Abstract

A simple decentralized controller is proposed to enable accurate trajectory tracking without requiring specific knowledge about the robot dynamics. Asymptotic stability of tracking errors is established using the Lyapunov stability theory. The control system is shown to be robust to torque disturbances affecting the system and to a class of unmodeled dynamics. The structure of the controller and the performance of the closed-loop system are analyzed. Simulations results using the complete dynamic model of a six degree of freedom industrial robot are presented to demonstrate the excellent tracking performance of the proposed controller.