FlexDMP – Extending Dynamic Movement Primitives towards Flexible Joint Robots

Dynamic movement primitives (DMPs) are a learning from demonstration (LfD) method that imitates movement primitives. Recently, reinforcement learning (RL) has been used to modify DMPs. In this regard, most methods have concentrated on improving DMPs with RL after DMPs are learned with supervised learning. In this way, there is no guarantee that the DMPs stay close to demonstrations while modified. To address this problem, in this study, a framework is proposed for learning DMPs with deep RL, which can be further used to modify DMPs. To do so, first, DMPs are modeled in the framework of deep RL. Then, after the reward function for learning is defined, they are learned with deep RL. The deep RL algorithm used in the present study is the twin-delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) algorithm. Our proposed algorithm is evaluated with various demonstrations, and a case study of a pick-and-place task is done. The results show that our method can learn all demonstrations with high accuracy.

In robot manipulators, the joint flexibility may be or not introduced intentionally. Thus, flexible joint robots (FJRs) are useful in aerospace applications and human rehabilitation, for example. Besides, FJRs appear in industrial manipulators. The feedback linearization control has been applied to many mechatronics systems, including FJRs. However, if spring damping between the links and rotors is present, the state feedback linearization design is no longer feasible. In order to overcome this situation, in this paper, an input-output feedback linearization approach is developed to achieve trajectory tracking control of FJRs. The study is complemented with simulation results, which validates the proposed theory. By assuming the presence of spring damping, a comparison between the known state feedback linearization technique and the proposed input-output feedback linearization is given, showing better results for the introduced approach.

In this paper, we propose a couple of configurations for development of an electro hydrostatic actuator (EHA). The study shows that both configurations result in the same dynamic model, and that the resulting dynamic model is equivalent to the dynamic model of flexible joint robots (FJR). Consequently, in controlling the EHA-based robots, we can apply a control strategy that is developed for flexible joint robots (FJR). In particular, we applied a position-based PD control with inertia reshaping technique, which is one of the most widely used control method for compliant interaction with environments. The proposed scheme was verified through experiments using a 1 degree-of-freedom testbed for both configurations of EHA.

In this paper, a stability control approach of flexible joint robot (FJR) based T-S fuzzy model using fuzzy Lyapunov function is proposed. First, the Takagi and Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model is employed to approximate the flexible joint robot, then a fuzzy controller is developed based on parallel distributed compensation principle (PDC). The non-quadratic stability conditions for the flexible joint robot control system are proposed by using fuzzy Lyapunov function combined with linear matrix inequality (LMI). Finally, the simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

This paper presents an interconnection and damping assignment passivity based control (IDA-PBC) for the position and impedance control of flexible joint robot. In considering of the joint damping and with some simplification of friction, a flexible joint robot system is descripted as an port-controlled Hamiltonian system with dissipation(PCHD). Then, giving a desired Hamiltonian function which both shapes potential and kinetic energies, the control laws of position control and impedance control is derived by the algebraic IDA-PBC method, which preserves the PCHD structure of the close-loop system. Comparing with the traditional passivity based control (PBC), the proposed method gives a new explanation of the control of flexible joint robot by introducing the self-damping and cross-damping terms, which make the gain selecting procedure more intuitive and comfortable. Simulation and experiments are done to verify the proposed controller, and the results shows a promising performance both in position and impedance control.

Maintaining the balance is always a challenge issue for bipedal humanoid robots in dealing with various locomotive tasks to serve human society, especially when the real environment the robot worked within exhibits to be very complex. Unlike plenty of previous successful approaches on humanoid balancing or push recovery, in this research, the Dynamical Movement Primitives (DMP) is employed to model several typical bio-inspired strategies. As humanoid balancing or push recovery could be regarded as a problem of how a robot to get back to its ongoing behavior when a break happens on account of external force or uneven terrain etc., the DMP model becomes an alternative ideal choice due to its promising nature of attractor. Meanwhile, the DMP composed of a set of differential equations provides a compact parameterized representation in modelling a motion strategy, and thus leads to a strategy model that is suitable to be fulfilled with machine learning techniques. In this research, the learning process for those bio-inspired strategies modeled with DMP are completed by adopting the stochastic policy gradient reinforcement learning and imitation learning separately. Furthermore, with Gaussian Process(GP) regression, push recovery strategies are generalized taking the advantages of the invariance properties of the DMP model. As a consequence, an online adaptive push recovery control strategy is finally achieved. Experimental results on both simulated robot and a real bipedal humanoid robot PKU-HR5 demonstrate the presented approach is effective and promising.

A switching control scheme is described for flexible joint robots which does not use link jerk or acceleration feedback. The control scheme does not require the numerical differentiation of the velocity signal or the inversion of the inertial matrices. Simulations are presented to verify the validity of the control scheme and its superiority over existing rigid robot controllers when applied to flexible joint robots. >

Encoding desired motions into dynamic movement primitives (DMPs) is a common way for generating compact task representations that are able to handle sensor-based goal adaptations. At the same time, a robot should not only express adaptive motion capabilities at planning level, but use also contact wrench feedback in the adaptation and learning process of the DMP. Despite first approaches exist in this direction, no fully integrated approach has been proposed so far. In this paper, we introduce a new class of admittance-coupled DMPs that addresses environmental changes by including contact wrench feedback dynamics into the DMP formalism. Moreover, a novel iterative learning approach is devised that is based on monitoring the overall system passivity analysis in terms of reference power tracking. Simulations and experimental results with the Kuka LWR robot maintaining a non-rigid contact with the environment (wiping a surface) are shown for supporting the validity of our approach.

Addressing the limitations of traditional Dynamic Movement Primitives (DMP) obstacle avoidance methods-which rely on dynamic coupling terms leading to complex algorithmic structures, sluggish responses, and difficulties in autonomous obstacle avoidance-this study innovatively proposes a robotic arm obstacle avoidance trajectory planning framework that integrates DMP with the Informed RRT* algorithm. This framework uses the Informed RRT algorithm to do local trajectory replanning in areas near obstacles. It keeps the main dynamic features of DMP and creates obstacle-avoidance trajectories that are then smoothly added to the original DMP trajectory. This approach eliminates the need for complex dynamic coupling terms, significantly reducing algorithmic complexity. Its local replanning mechanism not only enables autonomous obstacle avoidance and effectively suppresses trajectory oscillations but also substantially enhances real-time response speed. The main contributions of this study include 1) proposing a decoupled DMP obstacle avoidance method based on local trajectory replanning combined with Informed RRT*, simplifying the algorithm structure; 2) the adopted local replanning strategy significantly shortens response time and improves obstacle avoidance efficiency. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was validated through two sets of comparative experiments (against the RRT method) conducted on a collaborative robot platform. Experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm reduces response time for obstacle avoidance by 33.2% and increases success rate by 19.5%, fully proving its potential and applicability in specific industrial scenarios.

A robust adaptive neural network controller is presented for flexible joint robots using feedback linearization techniques. The controller is based on an approach of using an additional neural network to provide adaptive enhancements to a bask fixed nonlinear controller which can be either neural-network-based or model-used. The weights of the additional neural network are updated on-line based on direct adaptive techniques. It is shown that if Gaussian radial basis function networks are used for the additional neural network, uniformly stable adaptation is assured and asymptotic tracking of the position reference signal is achieved. Intensive computer simulations on a two-link flexible joint robot have shown that the controller can belter handle dynamical model changes and parameter uncertainties than the conventional feedback linearization controller

This paper addresses a significant challenge in achieving collaborative tasks; how can a robot or multiple robots, endowed with a library of pre-learned primitive movements, generate multiple simultaneous coordinated robotic movements, adapting and optimizing those in the library, to complete one collaborative task? This work can thus be seen as a follow-up to the work with a motion presented as dynamic movement primitive (DMP) that now considers collaborative tasks and the existence of multiple robots/manipulators. Specifically, we start with a simple task using one DMP and extend it to accommodate the coordinated execution of multiple DMPs in robots with multiple manipulators or-alternatively-multiple robots with a single manipulator. We investigate mechanisms to jointly optimize multiple DMPs to perform one task in a coordinated fashion. The joint trajectory is built from initial DMPs learned for a single manipulator, and its optimization must comply with task-specific constraints. We illustrate the application of our approach both in a simulated environment and in a simulated and real Baxter robot.

The paper addresses the problem of learning internal task-specific dynamic models for a reaching task. Using task-specific dynamic models is crucial for achieving both high tracking accuracy and compliant behaviour, which improves safety concerns while working in unstructured environment or with humans. The proposed approach uses programming by demonstration to learn new task-related movements encoded as Compliant Movement Primitives (CMPs). CMPs are a combination of position trajectories encoded in a form of Dynamic Movement Primitives (DMPs) and corresponding task-specific Torque Primitives (TPs) encoded as a linear combination of kernel functions. Unlike the DMPs, TPs cannot be directly acquired from user demonstrations. Inspired by the human sensorimotor learning ability we propose a novel method which autonomously learns task-specific TPs, based on a given kinematic trajectory in DMPs.

Purpose This paper aims to solve the problem of the inability to apply learning methods for robot motion skills based on dynamic movement primitives (DMPs) in tasks with explicit environmental constraints, while ensuring the reliability of the robot system. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a novel DMP that takes into account environmental constraints to enhance the generality of the robot motion skill learning method. First, based on the real-time state of the robot and environmental constraints, the task space is divided into different regions and different control strategies are used in each region. Second, to ensure the effectiveness of the generalized skills (trajectories), the control barrier function is extended to DMP to enforce constraint conditions. Finally, a skill modeling and learning algorithm flow is proposed that takes into account environmental constraints within DMPs. Findings By designing numerical simulation and prototype demonstration experiments to study skill learning and generalization under constrained environments. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of generating motion skills that satisfy environmental constraints. It ensures that robots remain in a safe position throughout the execution of generation skills, thereby avoiding any adverse impact on the surrounding environment. Originality/value This paper explores further applications of generalized motion skill learning methods on robots, enhancing the efficiency of robot operations in constrained environments, particularly in non-point-constrained environments. The improved methods are applicable to different types of robots.

Improved Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model-based control of flexible joint robot via Hybrid-Taguchi genetic algorithm

This paper is focused on the adaptive control design for flexible joint robots with parameter uncertainties. Based on the singular perturbation theory, the flexible joint robot is transformed into a fast subsystem and a slow subsystem. For the fast subsystem, the PD control strategy is used to suppress elastic oscillations by the feedback of the motor angular displacement error. For the slow subsystem, an adaptive control scheme is proposed to guarantee the parameter estimation error convergence. The closed-loop system is testified to be globally exponentially stable via the designed Lyapunov function. The comprehensive simulation results demonstrate great tracking precision and high robustness of the proposed control scheme.