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At least 199 records · Page 11

An adaptive inverse kinematics algorithm for robot manipulators

An adaptive algorithm for solving the inverse kinematics problem for robot manipulators is presented. The algorithm is derived using model reference adaptive control (MRAC) theory and is computationally efficient for online applications. The scheme requires no a priori knowledge of the kinematics of the robot if Cartesian end-effector sensing is available, and it requires knowledge of only the forward kinematics if joint position sensing is used. Computer simulation results are given for the redundant seven-DOF robotics research arm, demonstrating that the proposed algorithm yields accurate joint angle trajectories for a given end-effector position/orientation trajectory.

Colbaugh, R.↗

Accommodating Sensor Bias in MRAC for State Tracking

The problem of accommodating unknown sensor bias is considered in a direct model reference adaptive control (MRAC) setting for state tracking using state feedback. Sensor faults can occur during operation, and if the biased state measurements are directly used with a standard MRAC control law, neither closed-loop signal boundedness, nor asymptotic tracking can be guaranteed and the resulting tracking errors may be unbounded or unacceptably large. A modified MRAC law is proposed, which combines a bias estimator with control gain adaptation, and it is shown that signal boundedness can be accomplished, although the tracking error may not go to zero. Further, for the case wherein an asymptotically stable sensor bias estimator is available, an MRAC control law is proposed to accomplish asymptotic tracking and signal boundedness. Such a sensor bias estimator can be designed if additional sensor measurements are available, as illustrated for the case wherein bias is present in the rate gyro and airspeed measurements. Numerical example results are presented to illustrate each of the schemes.

Patre, Parag↗

Input and Output Performance of M-MRAC in the Presence of Bounded Disturbances

This paper presents performance analysis of novel modified model reference adaptive control (M-MRAC) architecture in conjunction with different robust adaptive laws for the uncertain linear systems subject to unknown but bounded disturbances. It is shown that for any robust adaptive law the tracking error of the M-MRAC system can be arbitrarily decreased in transient and in the steady-state by increasing the adaptation rate, without generating high frequency oscillations in the control signal, which are unavoidable in conventional MRAC systems for large adaptation rates. Moreover, the generated adaptive control signal arbitrary closely tracks the ideal control signal when the error feedback gain is simultaneously increased with the adaptation rate, according to derived rule. The results are demonstrated via simulations.

Stepanyan, Vahram↗

Reference Controls Methodologies for Large Structural Models at Kennedy Space Center

This presentation will discuss the methodology behind Model Class Definition--the use of separate model assemblies of the same product, at different fidelities, driven by the same skeleton files. These fidelities can be used to convey only the detail that the end user needs, by allowing the end user to pick and choose between model classes for assembly creation. The usefulness of MPA for the Windchill Release Process will be demonstrated, along with its usefulness in minimizing CPU resources during design. The presentation will include an overview the ML product, how to structure complex products in a flexible modular architecture, and how to maximize system resources.

Jones, Corey↗

M-MRAC With Normalization

This paper presents a normalization based modified reference model adaptive control method for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) uncertain systems in the presence of bounded external disturbances. It has been shown that desired tracking performance can be achieved for the system's output and input signals with the proper choice of design parameters. The resulting adaptive control signal satisfies a second order linear time invariant (LTI) system, which is the effect of the normalization term in the adaptive laws. This LTI system provides the guideline for the design parameter selection. The theoretical findings are confirmed via a simulation example.

Stepanyan, Vahram↗

Experiences with Ada in an embedded system

Recent experiences with using Ada in a real time environment are described. The application was the control system for an experimental robotic arm. The objectives of the effort were to experiment with developing embedded applications in Ada, evaluating the suitability of the language for the application, and determining the performance of the system. Additional objectives were to develop a control system based on the NASA/NBS Standard Reference Model for Telerobot Control System Architecture (NASREM) in Ada, and to experiment with the control laws and how to incorporate them into the NASREM architecture.

Labaugh, Robert J.↗

Decentralized control experiments on NASA's flexible grid

Methods arising from the area of decentralized control are emerging for analysis and control synthesis for large flexible structures. In this paper the control strategy involves a decentralized model reference adaptive approach using a variable structure control. Local models are formulated based on desired damping and response time in a model-following scheme for various modal configurations. Variable structure controllers are then designed employing co-located angular rate and position feedback. In this scheme local control forces the system to move on a local sliding mode in some local error space. An important feature of this approach is that the local subsystem is made insensitive to dynamical interactions with other subsystems once the sliding surface is reached. Experiments based on the above have been performed for NASA's flexible grid experimental apparatus. The grid is designed to admit appreciable low-frequency structural dynamics, and allows for implementation of distributed computing components, inertial sensors, and actuation devices. A finite-element analysis of the grid provides the model for control system design and simulation; results of several simulations are reported on here, and a discussion of application experiments on the apparatus is presented.

Ozguner, U.↗

FOCAL Campaign I: Advanced Wind Turbine Control Strategies

Campaign I of the Floating Offshore-wind Controls Advanced Laboratory Experimental Program (FOCAL) aims to generate a dataset enabling the validation of aerodynamic performance of a scaled turbine mounted on a rigid tower in a fixed condition. The turbine considered in the FOCAL testing campaigns is the IEA-Wind 15MW Reference Wind Turbine. This scaled model is capable of simulating advanced blade-pitch control strategies in a high-quality wind field. The turbine is fully instrumented to record a variety of parameters in real time such as structural loads and dynamics. The test data considered was generated at the University of Maine's Harold Alfond Wind and Wave (W2) testing facility. The Load Cases (LC) considered in this testing campaign are as follows: LC 1.X - Constant wind and blade-pitch with varying rotor speeds LC 2.X - Constant wind and rotor speed with varying blade-pitch LC 3.X - Varying wind with active closed-loop control Detailed properties on the modeled system are found in the following reference: Lenfest E., Floating Offshore-wind Controls Advanced Laboratory (FOCAL) Experimental Program - Campaign I: 1:70 Model-scale Testing of the IEA-Wind 15MW Reference Turbine. UMaine ASCC Report Number 23-40-1183. Details on the results of the verification and validation are found in the following reference: Mendoza, Nicole et al., "Verification and Validation of Model-Scale Turbine Performance and Control for the IEA Wind 15 MW Reference Wind Turbine," Energies, vol. 15, no. 20, 2022, https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207649.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Intelligent robots for planetary exploration and construction

Robots capable of practical applications in planetary exploration and construction will require realtime sensory-interactive goal-directed control systems. A reference model architecture based on the NIST Real-time Control System (RCS) for real-time intelligent control systems is suggested. RCS partitions the control problem into four basic elements: behavior generation (or task decomposition), world modeling, sensory processing, and value judgment. It clusters these elements into computational nodes that have responsibility for specific subsystems, and arranges these nodes in hierarchical layers such that each layer has characteristic functionality and timing. Planetary exploration robots should have mobility systems that can safely maneuver over rough surfaces at high speeds. Walking machines and wheeled vehicles with dynamic suspensions are candidates. The technology of sensing and sensory processing has progressed to the point where real-time autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance behavior is feasible. Map-based navigation systems will support long-range mobility goals and plans. Planetary construction robots must have high strength-to-weight ratios for lifting and positioning tools and materials in six degrees-of-freedom over large working volumes. A new generation of cable-suspended Stewart platform devices and inflatable structures are suggested for lifting and positioning materials and structures, as well as for excavation, grading, and manipulating a variety of tools and construction machinery.

Albus, James S.↗

Control of Systems With Slow Actuators Using Time Scale Separation

This paper addresses the problem of controlling a nonlinear plant with a slow actuator using singular perturbation method. For the known plant-actuator cascaded system the proposed scheme achieves tracking of a given reference model with considerably less control demand than would otherwise result when using conventional design techniques. This is the consequence of excluding the small parameter from the actuator dynamics via time scale separation. The resulting tracking error is within the order of this small parameter. For the unknown system the adaptive counterpart is developed based on the prediction model, which is driven towards the reference model by the control design. It is proven that the prediction model tracks the reference model with an error proportional to the small parameter, while the prediction error converges to zero. The resulting closed-loop system with all prediction models and adaptive laws remains stable. The benefits of the approach are demonstrated in simulation studies and compared to conventional control approaches.

Stepanyan, Vehram↗

Adaptive-Control Experiments On A Large Flexible Structure

Antennalike flexible structure built for research in advanced technology including suppression of vibrations and control of initial deflections. Structure instrumented with sensors and actuators connected to digital electronic control system, programmed with control algorithms to be tested. Particular attention in this research focused on direct model-reference adaptive-control algorithm based on command generator tracker theory. Built to exhibit multiple vibrational modes, low modal frequencies, and low structural damping. Made three-dimensional so complicated interactions among components of structure and control system investigated.

Ih, Che-Hang C.↗

Intelligent Control for the BEES Flyer

This paper describes the effort to provide a preliminary capability analysis and a neural network based adaptive flight control system for the JPL-led BEES aircraft project. The BEES flyer was envisioned to be a small, autonomous platform with sensing and control systems mimicking those of biological systems for the purpose of scientific exploration on the surface of Mars. The platform is physically tightly constrained by the necessity of efficient packing within rockets for the trip to Mars. Given the physical constraints, the system is not an ideal configuration for aerodynamics or stability and control. The objectives of this effort are to evaluate the aerodynamics characteristics of the existing design, to make recommendaaons as to potential improvements and to provide a control system that stabilizes the existing aircraft for nominal flight and damaged conditions. Towards this several questions are raised and analyses are presented to arrive at answers to some of the questions raised. CART3D, a high-fidelity inviscid analysis package for conceptual and preliminary aerodynamic design, was used to compute a parametric set of solutions over the expected flight domain. Stability and control derivatives were extracted from the database and integrated with the neural flight control system. The Integrated Vehicle Modeling Environment (IVME) was also used for estimating aircraft geometric, inertial, and aerodynamic characteristics. A generic neural flight control system is used to provide adaptive control without the requirement for extensive gain scheduling or explicit system identification. The neural flight control system uses reference models to specify desired handling qualities in the roll, pitch, and yaw axes, and incorporates both pre-trained and on-line learning neural networks in the inverse model portion of the controller. Results are presented for the BEES aircraft in the subsonic regime for terrestrial and Martian environments.

Krishnakumar, K.↗

Subsonic Flight Tests of a 1/7-Scale Radio-Controlled Model of the North American X-15 Airplane with Particular Reference to High Angel-of-Attack Conditions

An investigation of the subsonic stability and control characteristics of an unpowered 1/7-scale model based on the North American X-15 airplane was conducted by using a radio-controlled model launched from a helicopter and flown in free-gliding flight. At angles of attack below about 20 deg. where the model motions represent those of the X-15 airplane, the model was found to be both longitudinally and laterally stable, and the all-movable tail surfaces were found to be very effective. The model could also be flown at much higher angles of attack where the model motions did not necessarily represent those of the airplane because of slight geometrical differences and Reynolds number effects, but these test results are useful in evaluating the effectiveness at these angles of the type of lateral control system used in the X-15 airplane. In some cases, the model was flown to angles of attack as high as 60 or 70 deg. without encountering divergent or uncontrollable conditions. For some flights in which the model was subjected to rapid maneuvers, spinning motions were generated by application of corrective controls to oppose the direction of rotation. Rapid recoveries from this type of motion were achieved by applying roll control in the direction of rotation.

Hewes, Donald E.↗

Adaptive Control Using Residual Mode Filters Applied to Wind Turbines

Many dynamic systems containing a large number of modes can benefit from adaptive control techniques, which are well suited to applications that have unknown parameters and poorly known operating conditions. In this paper, we focus on a model reference direct adaptive control approach that has been extended to handle adaptive rejection of persistent disturbances. We extend this adaptive control theory to accommodate problematic modal subsystems of a plant that inhibit the adaptive controller by causing the open-loop plant to be non-minimum phase. We will augment the adaptive controller using a Residual Mode Filter (RMF) to compensate for problematic modal subsystems, thereby allowing the system to satisfy the requirements for the adaptive controller to have guaranteed convergence and bounded gains. We apply these theoretical results to design an adaptive collective pitch controller for a high-fidelity simulation of a utility-scale, variable-speed wind turbine that has minimum phase zeros.

Frost, Susan A.↗

A Cost-Effective Wave Energy Harvesting System with Maximum Power Point Tracking Capability

In this paper, we propose a low-cost bidirectional four-switch inverter that transfers three-phase energy between a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) driven by a wave energy collector and the power grid or a local ac load. To achieve high control performance, the machine-side inverter uses a high-gain observer for rotor position estimation and a Lyapunov-based approach for torque control. For the gridside inverter control, we estimate the filter capacitor voltage with a model reference adaptive system and control the dc-link voltage with a Lyapunov-based energy function. We also track the maximum power point from the sea waves with an integral control law that actively matches the generator impedance with that of the wave collection device. The proposed system supports both grid-following/forming modes. We validate our control design with simulation results on a 3-kW hardware setup.

wave energy, power systems integration, control de↗

Nonlinear attitude control of flexible spacecraft under disturbance torque

A control law for large-angle single-axis rotational maneuvers of a spacecraft-beam-tip body (an antenna or a reflector) configuration is presented. It is assumed that an unknown but bounded disturbance torque is acting on the spacecraft. A model reference adaptive torque control law is derived for the slewing of the space vehicle. This controller includes a dynamic system in the feedback path and requires only attitude angle and rate of the space vehicle for feedback. For damping out the elastic motion excited by the slewing maneuver, a stabilizer is designed assuming that a torquer and a force actuator are available at the tip body. The stabilizer uses only the flexible modes for the synthesis of the control law. Simulation results are presented to show that fast, large-angle rotational maneuvers can be performed using the adaptive controller and the stabilizer in spite of the presence of continuously acting unknown torque on the spacecraft.

Singh, Sahjendra N.↗

The flight telerobotic servicer Tinman concept: System design drivers and task analysis

A study was conducted to develop a preliminary definition of the Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) that could be used to understand the operational concepts and scenarios for the FTS. Called the Tinman, this design concept was also used to begin the process of establishing resources and interfaces for the FTS on Space Station Freedom, the National Space Transportation System shuttle orbiter, and the Orbital Maneuvering vehicle. Starting with an analysis of the requirements and task capabilities as stated in the Phase B study requirements document, the study identified eight major design drivers for the FTS. Each of these design drivers and their impacts on the Tinman design concept are described. Next, the planning that is currently underway for providing resources for the FTS on Space Station Freedom is discussed, including up to 2000 W of peak power, up to four color video channels, and command and data rates up to 500 kbps between the telerobot and the control station. Finally, an example is presented to show how the Tinman design concept was used to analyze task scenarios and explore the operational capabilities of the FTS. A structured methodology using a standard terminology consistent with the NASA/National Bureau of Standards Standard Reference Model for Telerobot Control System Architecture (NASREM) was developed for this analysis.

Andary, J. F.↗