Tracking control for Pneumatic muscle actuators with unknown dynamics and output constraints

Abstract

Among the various soft actuators explored for robotic applications, the pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs) stand out because of many advantages, such as compliant structures, high power-to-weight/volume ratios, and lightweight materials. Despite these advantages, their inherent nonlinearities and time-varying dynamics pose significant challenges for tracking control. To tackle this challenge, we present a robust control method that is structurally simple and computationally inexpensive. Such a method is comprised of an error transformation scheme, which is deeply explored to withstand model uncertainties to accomplish the output tracking with assigned accuracy, and a tuning function for relaxing requirements on the initial conditions. Experimental results of the PMA are presented to validate the concepts.

Keywords

Pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs) / Unknown dynamics / Tracking control / Assigned accuracy / Output constraints

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