Adaptive PD controller for robot manipulators

Referring to the point-to-point control problem, a proportional and derivative (PD) control algorithm is presented that is adaptive with respect to the gravity parameters of robot manipulators. The proposed controller is shown to be globally convergent. Following the same approach, an application to the tracking problem is also presented. Simulation tests are included, with reference to a robot having three degrees of freedom. These tests show that the performances of the adaptive PD controller are scarcely influenced by the initial error