Saturating Stiffness Control of Robot Manipulators with Bounded Inputs

A saturating stiffness control scheme for robot manipulators with bounded torque inputs is proposed. The control law is assumed to be a PD-type controller, and the corresponding Lyapunov stability analysis of the closed-loop equilibrium point is presented. The interaction between the robot manipulator and the environment is modeled as spring-like contact forces.

The proper behavior of the closed-loop system is validated using a three degree-of-freedom robotic arm.