Torque sensorless control in multidegree-of-freedom manipulator

A torque sensorless control for a multi-degree-of-freedom manipulator is described. In the method, two disturbance observers are applied to each joint. One is used to realize a robust motion controller. The other is used to obtain a sensorless torque controller. A robust acceleration controller based on the disturbance observer is shown. To obtain the sensorless torque control, it is necessary to calculate the reaction torque when the mechanical system performs a force task. The calculation method for the reaction torque is explained. Then the method is expanded to workspace force control in the multi-degree-of-freedom manipulator. Several experimental results are shown to confirm the validity of the proposed sensorless force controller