Controller design for a manipulator in the presence of a time delay

A controller design method for a robot manipulator with a time delay introduced into the manipulator dynamics model is presented. The approach is based on a recently suggested multivariable control scheme for a robot arm using a linearized model of the manipulator describing the incremental behavior of the arm. The difficulties arising in controller design in the presence of a time delay and the effects on the tracking performance of the arm are analyzed. A predictive control scheme is used to remove the time delay from the characteristic equation and therefore allow application of the control schemes developed with the assumption that a time delay is not present in the dynamics of the arm