Actuator control device, actuator control method, actuator, robot apparatus, and computer program

1. An actuator control device for force-controlling a joint driving actuator according to a commanded joint force command value τ a , the actuator control device comprising:

means for detecting a joint value q at an output stage of the actuator;

means for detecting an action force τ e in a joint driving direction at the output stage of the actuator;

means for determining an instructed driving force τ to the actuator, on the basis of an ideal response model of the actuator which specifies the relationship of a joint value acceleration target value achieved as the actuator responds ideally when a joint force command value τ a , the action force τ e , and a joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q are given;

wherein the means for determining an instructed driving force applies a disturbance observer to determine the driving force τ of the actuator;

wherein the disturbance observer estimates a driving force which has acted on the joint on the basis of the joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q detected by the means for detecting a joint value q when the joint actuator is driven by the driving force τ determined by the means for determining an instructed driving force, and subtracts the estimated driving force from the driving force τ to calculate a disturbance joint force τ d ; and

a low pass filter is used to prevent the divergence of the system.

2. The actuator control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the ideal response model of the actuator includes an virtual inertia or an virtual viscous resistance coefficient υ a which acts according to the magnitude of the joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q.

3. The actuator control device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving force determining means corrects a joint force target value τ ref , which is based on the joint value acceleration target value obtained from the ideal response model, by the disturbance joint force τ d obtained by the disturbance observer in a previous control cycle, and determines the instructed driving force τ in a current control cycle.

4. An actuator control method for force-controlling a joint driving actuator according to a commanded joint force command value τ a , the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a joint value q using an encoder at an output stage of the actuator;

obtaining an action force τ e using a torque sensor in a joint driving direction at the output stage of the actuator;

determining an instructed driving force τ using a computer to the actuator, on the basis of an ideal response model of the actuator which specifies the relationship of a joint value acceleration target value achieved as the actuator responds ideally when a joint force command value τ a , the action force τ e , and a joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q are given;

wherein a disturbance observer is applied to determine the driving force τ of the actuator in the driving force determining step;

wherein the disturbance observer estimates a driving force which has acted on the joint on the basis of the joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q obtained in the joint value obtaining step when the joint actuator is driven by the driving force τ determined in the driving force determining step, and subtracts the estimated driving force from the driving force τ to calculate a disturbance joint force τ d ; and

a low pass filter is used to prevent the divergence of the system.

5. The actuator control method according to claim 4 ,

wherein the ideal response model of the actuator includes an virtual inertia or an virtual viscous resistance coefficient υ a which acts according to the magnitude of the joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q.

6. The actuator control device according to claim 4 , wherein, in the driving force determining step, a joint force target value τ ref , which is based on the joint value acceleration target value obtained from the ideal response model, is corrected by the disturbance joint force τ d obtained by the disturbance observer in a previous control cycle, and the instructed driving force τ in a current control cycle is determined.

7. An actuator comprising:

a motor which generates a rotary torque;

a motor driver which drives the motor;

a reducer which converts a rotary force of the motor into a sufficient generation force;

an encoder which measures a joint angle q at an output shaft of the reducer;

a torque sensor which detects an external torque τ e of the motor at the output shaft of a reducer; and a control unit which determines an instructed torque τ on the basis of an ideal response model of the actuator which specifies the relationship of a joint value acceleration target value achieved as the actuator responds ideally when a torque command value τ a , the external torque τ e , and a joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q are given, and which converts and outputs the determined torque into a control signal for a motor driver;

wherein the control unit includes a disturbance observer estimates a torque, which has acted on the joint based on a joint angular velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint angle q detected by the encoder, when the actuator is driven by the joint torque τ, and subtracts the estimated torque from the instructed torque τ to calculate a disturbance torque τ d , and corrects a joint force target value τ ref , which is based on the joint value acceleration target value obtained from the ideal response model, by the disturbance joint force τ d obtained by the disturbance observer in a previous control cycle, and determines the instructed driving force τ in a current control cycle; and

a low pass filter is used to prevent the divergence of the system.

8. The actuator according to claim 7 ,

wherein the ideal response model includes an virtual inertia or an virtual viscous resistance coefficient υ a which acts according to the magnitude of the joint angular velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q measured by the encoder.

9. A robot apparatus comprising a link structure constructed by connecting a plurality of rigid body links, and joint actuators which drive joints which connect between the links, and at least some joint actuators are constituted by the actuators according to claim 7 .

10. An actuator control device for force-controlling a joint driving actuator according to a commanded joint force command value τ a , the actuator control device comprising:

a joint value detector detecting a joint value q using an encoder at an output stage of the actuator;

an action force detector using a torque sensor configured to detect an action force τ e in a joint driving direction at the output stage of the actuator;

a driving force determining unit using a computer configured to determine an instructed driving force τ to the actuator, on the basis of an ideal response model of the actuator which specifies the relationship of a joint value acceleration target value achieved as the actuator responds ideally when a joint force command value τ a , the action force τ e , and a joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q are given;

wherein a disturbance observer is applied to determine the driving force τ of the actuator in the driving force determining step;

wherein the disturbance observer estimates a driving force which has acted on the joint on the basis of the joint value velocity obtained by time-differentiating the joint value q obtained in the joint value obtaining step when the joint actuator is driven by the driving force τ determined in the driving force determining step, and subtracts the estimated driving force from the driving force τ to calculate a disturbance joint force τ d ; and

a low pass filter is used to prevent the divergence of the system.