Force Control of a Haptic Flexible-Link Antenna Based on a Lumped-Mass Model

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Biomimetics
• Control Systems Engineering

Background:

• Haptic sensing is crucial for animal navigation in environments lacking vision.
• Insects utilize slender, flexible antennae with muscle-driven bases for active sensing, obstacle detection, and object recognition.
• Effective force control of these antennae is vital for their diverse functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a haptic robotic system mimicking natural sensing antennae.
• To focus on and achieve robust force control for a lightweight, flexible robotic antenna.
• To create a system capable of efficient interaction regardless of contact point.

Main Methods:

• Developed a dynamic model of the flexible antenna using lumped-mass discretization, accounting for gravity and point contact.
• Proved the robust stability of the closed-loop system utilizing the Routh stability criterion.
• Designed and implemented a robust force control system based on the stability analysis.

Main Results:

• A mechanical device replicating the sensing organ was constructed, featuring a flexible link, 3D force-torque sensor, and motorized base for movement.
• Experimental results in contact scenarios validated the effectiveness of the developed robust force control method.
• The system demonstrated efficient performance across different contact points.

Conclusions:

• The research successfully presents a novel haptic robotic system inspired by biological sensing antennae.
• The proposed robust force control strategy ensures reliable performance in contact-based tasks.
• This work contributes to advancements in robotic sensing and manipulation, particularly for delicate or unknown environments.