Hybrid Control for Robotic Nut Tightening Task

IEEE Member, Helsinki, Finland Abstract-- An autonomous robotic nut tightening system for a serial manipulator equipped with a parallel gripper is proposed. The system features a hierarchical motion-primitive-based planner and a control-switching scheme that alternates between force and position control. Extensive simulations demonstrate the system's robustness to variance in initial conditions. Additionally, the proposed controller tightens threaded screws 14% faster than the baseline while applying 40 times less contact force on manipulands. For the benefit of the research community, the system's implementation is open-sourced. The robotics research community is working towards autonomous robotic systems that could multiply the productivity of every individual and organisation. Presently versatility of the planet's best manipulator (a human's hand controlled by human's mind & reflex [1]) is unparalleled by any autonomous robotic system.