Dynamic control of multiple coordinated redundant manipulators with torque optimization

The optimal torque control problem of a system of multiple coordinated redundant manipulators using joint redundancy is discussed. A local optimal control law and a global optimal control law, both minimizing torque loading at the joints of the multiple redundant manipulators, are presented. The Pontryagin minimum principle is used to solve the global optimal control problem. The local and global optimal control approaches can be used to control the motion of an object held by the redundant manipulators and the internal forces which do not contribute to the motion of the object. From the task space point of view, the errors in the object motion and in the internal forces converge asymptotically to zero. From the joint space point of view, the joint torques which are provided by the joint actuators of the multiple redundant manipulators are the global minimum under the global optimal controller or the local minimum under the local optimal controller