Adaptive Control and Impedance Control for Dual Robotic Arms Manipulating a Common Heavy Load

Impedance control provides a convenient framework for designing control algorithms for robotic applications that involve interaction with the environment. Passive impedance control was utilized in the early days of robotic applications, when the peg-in-hole type of tasks were performed using remote center compliance. Active impedance control using digital measurements of contact forces for deburring and assembly operations have been attempted using single robots. The uncertainty associated with the robot dynamics and the contact tasks have often necessitated the use of adaptive algorithms. This paper investigates the use of adaptive control and impedance control for a difficult contact task involving multiple robots handling a common heavy object.