A New Approach to Energy Efficient Control Tecnique Selection in Kinematically Redundant Robots with Variable Mass Moment of Inertia

In this research, our focus was on identifying optimal control techniques for minimizing energy consumption in kinematically redundant robots with varying mass moment of inertia ratios. We conducted simulations and proposed recommendations, comparing the energy consumption of trajectories derived from Jacobian transpose-based inverse kinematics analysis against those obtained through impedance control in kinematically redundant robots. The Jacobian transpose-based method involved acquiring intermediate positions using a time-based cubic polynomial function. Both methods considered the mass moment of inertia of the linkages as variables in four distinct cases. Our study centred on a planar 4-degree-of-freedom (DOF) manipulator, and we performed co-simulations utilizing MATLAB Simulink and Adams software. The results of our investigation provide valuable insights into the choice of inverse kinematics methods based on energy consumption relative to the mass moment of inertia ratios of the linkages. Notably, as the mass moment of inertia ratios of the linkages increased, impedance control demonstrated lower energy consumption. Conversely, when these ratios approached parity, the Jacobian transpose-based inverse kinematics method exhibited superior energy efficiency. Remarkably, in instances favouring impedance control, we observed up to a 34% reduction in energy consumption compared to the Jacobian transpose-based method. This study contributes to the field by offering guidance on selecting the most suitable inverse kinematics approach for kinematically redundant robots, taking into account varying mass moment of inertia ratios. The findings pave the way for more energy-efficient control strategies in robotic systems, contributing to advancements in the broader domain of robotics and automation.