Modeling, identification, and control of a pneumatically actuated robot

Abstract

This research focuses on modeling and control of a light-weight and inexpensive pneumatic robot that can be used for position tracking and for end-effector force control. Unlike many previous controllers, our approach more fully accounts for the nonlinear dynamic properties of pneumatic systems such as servovalve flow characteristics and the thermodynamic properties of air compressed in a cylinder. We show with theory and experiments that pneumatic actuators can rival the performance of more common electric actuators.