Predictive control method for torque-rate control and vibration suppression

A method for robot predictive control, said method comprising:

• providing a motion program for a robot;
• performing a predictive control calculation, using a computer with a processor and memory, said calculation including an optimization computation which determines a torque rate vector to minimize robot end tooling oscillation and deviation from the motion program;
• providing the torque rate vector from the computer to the robot;
• and
• moving, by the robot, in response to the torque rate vector,
• wherein;
• the optimization computation includes an objective function which minimizes a difference between a predicted robot state and a reference robot state from the motion program while satisfying constraints including;
• a robot dynamics equation of motion which computes the predicted robot state based on the torque rate vector;
• an end tooling dynamics equation of motion which computes an end tooling oscillation state based on the predicted robot state;
• and
• a constraint defining bounds on the torque rate vector.

A robot predictive control system, said system comprising:

• a robot;
• and
• a robot controller having a processor and memory, said controller being in communication with the robot and configured with a control module which performs a predictive control calculation, including an optimization computation with an objective function which determines a torque rate vector to minimize a difference between a predicted robot state and a reference robot state from a predefined motion program while satisfying a constraint defining a robot dynamics equation of motion which computes the predicted robot state based on the torque rate vector and a constraint defining bounds on the torque rate vector,
• wherein the robot controller provides the torque rate vector to the robot and the robot moves in response to the torque rate vector.