Impedance control of redundant macro-micro manipulators

An impedance control scheme of redundant macro-micro manipulators is proposed. In this control scheme, we can specify not only the desired mechanical impedance of the end effector, but also that of the macro manipulator by considering the internal force applied at the tip of the macro manipulator. This control scheme can utilize both of the merits of the macro and micro manipulators. That is, by specifying a suitable set of the desired mechanical impedance, a compliant motion can be realized without any excessive joint torque of the macro manipulator, and a wide motion range of the macro manipulator can be used effectively to compensate a small motion range of the micro manipulator. The validity of the proposed control scheme is shown by several simulation results