Tracking error

Related papers: 20

About

Tracking error is the difference between a robot's or control system's desired reference trajectory and its actual measured output at any given point in time. In robotics and AI, it serves as the fundamental performance metric for evaluating how precisely a system follows commanded motions, forces, or positions. Controllers — including adaptive, sliding mode, neural network-based, and iterative learning approaches — are specifically designed to minimize this error, often with guarantees on convergence speed, boundedness, or prescribed performance constraints. Tracking error signals drive feedback corrections in real time, allowing systems to compensate for model uncertainties, external disturbances, and nonlinear dynamics. It matters because even small persistent tracking errors can compromise task quality in applications such as surgical robotics, manufacturing, and autonomous navigation, where precision is critical. Reducing tracking error to near zero, while maintaining stability and robustness, is therefore a central objective across virtually all motion control research and practical robotic system design.

Top Cited Papers

Robust Adaptive Control of Feedback Linearizable MIMO Nonlinear Systems With Prescribed Performance

Charalampos P. Bechlioulis, George A. Rovithakis

Citations: 2576 • 2008

Zero Phase Error Tracking Algorithm for Digital Control

Masayoshi Tomizuka

Citations: 1470 • 1987

Multilayer neural-net robot controller with guaranteed tracking performance

Frank L. Lewis, Aydın Yeşildirek, Kai Liu

Citations: 1107 • 1996

A robust MIMO terminal sliding mode control scheme for rigid robotic manipulators

Andrew P. Papliński, Hong Ren Wu

Citations: 966 • 1994

Iterative learning control and repetitive control for engineering practice

Richard W. Longman

Citations: 778 • 2000

Adaptive Fixed-Time Control for MIMO Nonlinear Systems With Asymmetric Output Constraints Using Universal Barrier Functions

Xu Jin

Citations: 679 • 2018

Neural net robot controller with guaranteed tracking performance

Frank L. Lewis, K. Liu, Aydın Yeşildirek

Citations: 638 • 1995

Composite adaptive control of robot manipulators

Jean-Jacques Slotine, Weiping Li

Citations: 600 • 1989

Neural-Network-Based Terminal Sliding-Mode Control of Robotic Manipulators Including Actuator Dynamics

Liangyong Wang, Tianyou Chai, Lianfei Zhai

Citations: 582 • 2009

A New Adaptive Sliding-Mode Control Scheme for Application to Robot Manipulators

Jaemin Baek, Maolin Jin, Soohee Han

Citations: 524 • 2016

Distributed adaptive control for consensus tracking with application to formation control of nonholonomic mobile robots

Wei Wang, Jiangshuai Huang, Changyun Wen, Huijin Fan

Citations: 505 • 2014

Force Tracking Impedance Control of Robot Manipulators Under Unknown Environment

Seul Jung, T.C. Hsia, R.G. Bonitz

Citations: 472 • 2004

Robust backstepping control of nonlinear systems using neural networks

Chiman Kwan, Frank L. Lewis

Citations: 453 • 2000

Adaptive PD controller for robot manipulators

P. Tomei

Citations: 418 • 1991

Adaptive variable impedance control for dynamic contact force tracking in uncertain environment

Jinjun Duan, Yahui Gan, Ming Chen, Xianzhong Dai

Citations: 395 • 2018

Tracking-error model-based predictive control for mobile robots in real time

Gregor Klančar, Igor Škrjanc

Citations: 385 • 2007

On the iterative learning control theory for robotic manipulators

P. Bondi, Giuseppe Casalino, Luca Maria Gambardella

Citations: 369 • 1988

Singularity-Free Fixed-Time Fuzzy Control for Robotic Systems With User-Defined Performance

Yingnan Pan, Peihao Du, Hong Xue, Hak‐Keung Lam

Citations: 310 • 2020

Force Tracking in Impedance Control

H. Seraji, R. Colbaugh

Citations: 299 • 1997

Adaptive Prescribed Performance Control of A Flexible-Joint Robotic Manipulator With Dynamic Uncertainties

Hui Ma, Qi Zhou, Hongyi Li, Renquan Lu

Citations: 298 • 2021