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The secret of force control technology: Why does it have advantages over traditional position control?
In robotics and machinery manufacturing, Force Control has become an increasingly important research field. Unlike traditional position control, force control not only considers the position of the machine, but also the force it exerts on objects and the environment. Control of these forces not only helps protect the machine, but also avoids damage during processing and potential injuries when interacting with humans.
"Force control compensates for errors and reduces wear by maintaining uniform contact force, resulting in more consistent results."
The operating force of force control technology is usually measured by force sensors or predicted by motor current. Over the past thirty years, the application range of force control has gradually expanded due to advances in sensor and actuator technology. This control method not only performs well in contact tasks, but is also widely used in different fields such as telemedicine, service robots and surface scanning.
Background of force control technology
The core of force control technology is to control the contact force in mechanical operation. With the development of industrial automation, the interaction between robots and the environment has become more complex, and the need for force control is also increasing. In many production links, the movement of the machine may be blocked by obstacles, affecting its correct operation. Therefore, it is particularly important to adjust the maximum force of the machine through the force control system.
"Force control can proactively react during machine operation, thereby effectively reducing the risk of damage and improving production efficiency."
In the process of mechanical manufacturing, the unevenness of the workpiece may cause problems in traditional position control, ultimately affecting the processing effect. However, force control technology ensures uniform material removal in these contact tasks, resulting in better machining quality.
Application scope and advantages
The applications of force control technology can be mainly divided into obvious contact applications and potential contact applications. In explicit contact applications, the robot often needs to explicitly control contact with the environment or workpiece, such as during mechanical deformation and surface machining. However, where potential contact is possible, the machine needs to avoid excessive contact forces.
"Currently, force control technology is mainly used in machine manufacturing operations, covering many tasks such as grinding, polishing and deburring."
In addition, force control is also widely used to scan unknown surfaces and use sensors to stably set contact pressure. The development of this technology not only improves production efficiency, but also adds safety to high-risk scenarios such as robotic medical surgery.
The importance of force measurement
In the force control process, accurately grasping the contact force is the key to closed-loop control. Contact force can be measured directly via force/torque sensors or indirectly via estimation. Modern six-axis force/torque sensors record force and torque simultaneously in three dimensions and provide instant data with fast response times.
“With technological advancement, modern machine controllers can control forces in real time and achieve higher reaction speeds.”
However, the high cost of force/torque sensors and their sensitivity to overload and interference still limit their practical applications. Therefore, indirect force measurement or estimation becomes a cost-effective option. By monitoring the machine's motor current, the corresponding contact force can also be inferred.
Advances in control concepts
In the control concept of force control, it can be mainly divided into direct force control and indirect control by declaring compliance or mechanical impedance. These control concepts incorporate motion control to address the coupling between force and position.
"Advances in force control make robots more flexible and adaptable when performing various tasks."
Whether it is passive impedance control or active impedance control, the development of various control methods has made the machine more intelligent when processing actions. Especially in interactions with humans, the safety and reliability brought by force control technology are one of its most important advantages.
With the continuous evolution and improvement of future technology, Likong's application prospects in the fields of industry, automation and service robots will become increasingly broad. This also raises a question: In the future work environment, can force control technology completely replace the traditional control space?
