A Pc-based Connguration Controller for Dexterous 7-dof Arms

The paper describes the rst implementation of a Connguration Controller for a dexterous 7-DOF manipulator on an IBM-compatible personal computer. The personal computer is interfaced to a Robotics Research Corporation manipulator, and the application software is designed to support both robot control and operator interface functions. The computer hardware is enhanced with additional interface boards, and the system software is replaced with a real-time operating system. The real-time system achieves position and force control cycles of 2:5 ms and 5 ms, respectively. Position and force data are acquired in real-time and displayed at task completion. The system has the capability for 3D graphical animation of the arm motion, which is performed on a separate single-board computer interfaced to the PC. The commanded arm motion can be graphically simulated in advance, or displayed during task execution, on a dedicated monitor. Several experiments have shown control performance comparable to that obtained with more extensive computing platforms, thus validating the use of personal computers for dexterous manipulator control. The system represents a step toward high-performance robotic controllers designed with consumer electronics. The Connguration Control software is currently incorporated in the new line of commercial products of the Robotics Research Corporation.