A Method for Synthesis of Position-Force Control Systems for Electric Drives of Multi-Link Manipulators Mounted on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. Part 1

The paper is devoted to solving the problem of developing a synthesis method for combined position-force control systems (CS) for electric drives (ED) of multi-link underwater manipulators (MUM) mounted on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) operating in the mode of landing on the ground or on work sites, followed by rigid fixation of these AUV using special devices. To solve this problem, a comprehensive method is proposed in the first part of the paper. First, according to this method, a self-adjusting regulators are synthesized for the ED of each degree of freedom of the MUM, which makes it possible to stabilize its variable dynamic parameters at a given nominal level. This stabilization compensates for the influence of Coulomb and viscous friction, as well as part of the external torque caused by the mutual influences between the MUM links and their interaction with the viscous medium, on the quality of control. Then, to ensure the operation of the self-adjusting regulators and the ED CS, based on the initial nonlinear models of the ED, observers with a variable structure are synthesized to obtain information about the current values of external moments, as well as the rotation speeds and accelerations of all the ED output shafts. Using this information and measurements of only angle sensors of the specified output shafts, it was possible to synthesize position-force regulators for ED, minimizing the selected quadratic cost function, ensuring the specified movements of the output shafts of the item instance while creating the required moments. In the second part of the paper a synthesis of a combined position-force control system with all MUM elements was performed using these position-force regulators. As the results of computer modeling showed, this control system is capable of providing accurate movements of the MUM work tool along specified spatial trajectories and simultaneous creation of the required force effects on the work objects in the presence of the interaction of all its links with a viscous medium with variable parameters (viscous friction and added masses) while performing various complex technological operations.

1. Simetti E., Casalino G., Torelli S., Sperinde A., Turetta A. Floating Underwater Manipulation: Developed Control Methodology and Experimental Validation within the TRIDENT Project, Journal of Field Robotics, 2014, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 364—385.

2. Fossen T. I. Handbook of marine craft hydrodynamics and motion control, John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 596 p.

3. Inzartsev A. V., Kiselev L. V., Kostenko V. V., Matvienko Yu. V., Pavin A. M., Scherbatyuk A. F. Underwater robotic complexes: systems, technologies, applications, Vladivostok, IPMT DVO RAN, 2018, 368 p. (in Russian).

4. Griffiths G. Technology and Applications of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, London: CRC Press, 2003, 369 p.

5. Kumar S., Rastogi V., Gupta P. A hybrid impedance control scheme for underwater welding robots with a passive foundation in the controller domain, Simulation, 2017, vol. 93, no. 7, pp. 1—12.

6. Seki Yu., Sagara Sh., Ambar R. Impedance Control of Dual-Arm 3-link Underwater Robot: In the Case of Grasping a Fixed Object Lightly with One Hand, Proc. of the 2018 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Robotics (ICT-ROBOT), 2018, pp. 1—4.

7. Barbalata C., Dunnigan M. W., Petillot Y. Coupled and Decoupled Force/Motion Controllers for an Underwater VehicleManipulator System, Journal of marine science and engineering, 2018, vol. 96, no. 6, pp. 1—23.

8. Barbalata C., Dunnigan M. W., Petillot Y. Position/force operational space control for underwater manipulation, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2018, vol. 100, pp. 150—159.

9. Konoplin A. Ju., Krasavin N. A., Yurmanov A. P., Piatavin P. A., Katsurin A. A. System of position/force control of underwater vehicles with multi-link manipulators for performing contact manipulation operations, Underwater investigations and robotics, 2022, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 40—52 (in Russian).

10. Zuev A. V., Filaretov V. F. Features of designing combined force/position manipulator control systems, Journal of computer and systems sciences international, 2009, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 146—154 (in Russian).

11. Filaretov V. F., Zuev A. V., Timoshenko A. A. Identification of interaction parameters of underwater manipulator links with a viscous medium for precise automatic execution of manipulation operations. Part 1, Mekhatronika, Avtomatizatsia, Upravlenie, 2025, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 98—108 (in Russian).

12. Filaretov V. F., Zuev A. V., Timoshenko A. A. Identification of interaction parameters of underwater manipulator links with a viscous medium for precise automatic execution of manipulation operations. Part 2, Mekhatronika, Avtomatizatsia, Upravlenie, 2025, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 128—138 (in Russian).

13. Filaretov V. F., Zuev A. V., Gubankov A. S. Manipulator control during various technological operations, Moscow, Nauka, 2018, 232 p. (in Russian).

14. Filaretov V. F. Self-adjusting control systems for manipulator drives (Samonastraivayushchiesya sistemy upravleniya privodami manipulyatorov) Vladivostok, FESTU, 2000, 304 p. (in Russian).

15. Zuev A. V., Protsenko A. A., Timoshenko A. A., Kopylov D. V. Method for constructing self-adjusting correcting devices for electric drives of underwater manipulators using brushless DC motors, Extreme robotics, 2022, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 277—285.

16. Filaretov V. F., Zuev A. V., Timoshenko A. A. Adaptive control of electric drives of underwater manipulators (Adaptivnoe upravlenie elektroprivodami podvodnyh manipulyatorov), Morskie intellektual’nye tekhnologii, 2024, no. 4, part. 4, pp. 83—90. (in Russian).

17. Filaretov V. F., Yukhimets D. A., Mursalimov E. Sh. Method of data fusion from navigation sensors of under-water vehicle with using nonlinear Kalman filter, Mekhatronika, Avtomatizatsia, Upravlenie, 2012, no. 8, pp. 64—70 (in Russian).

18. B rhaug E., Pivano L., Pettersen K. Y., Johansen T. A. A Model-based ocean current observer for 6DoF underwater vehicles, IFAC Proc., 2007, vol. 40, no. 17, pp. 169—174.

19. Zhirabok A. N., Shumskii A. E., Zuev A. V. Method for fault identification in nonlinear systems based on sliding-mode observers, Journal of computer and systems sciences international, 2021, vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 11—23 (in Russian).

20. Zhirabok A. N., Shumsky A. E., Zuev A. V., Sergiyenko O. Identification of faults in nonlinear dynamical systems and their sensors based on sliding mode observers, Automation and remote control, 2022, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 214—236.

21. Utkin V. I. Sliding modes and their application in systems with variable structure, Moscow, Nauka, 1974, 272 p. (in Russian).

22. Kuharenko N. V. Selection of coefficients of quadratic functionals in the analytical design of regulators, Russian Electromechanics, 1978, no. 4, pp. 411—417 (in Russian).

23. Craig J. J. Introduction to robotics: mechanics and control, Pearson Education International, 2005, 400 p.