Controlled material removal rate (CMRR) and self-tuning force control in robotic machining process

A computer program product for controlling a robot so that a tool having a tip can perform a controlled removal rate of material from a workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece, either said tool movable and said workpiece stationary or said workpiece movable and said tool stationary, said robot having associated therewith a controller having tunable gains for proportional and integral control, comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method comprising:
• determining a command for the feed rate of either said movable tool or said movable workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece;
• and
• tuning said proportional control and said integral control tunable gains in response to said feed rate command and a cutting force to be applied to said workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece to provide a command to control said cutting force to be applied to said workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece to be substantially the same as a desired cutting force.

A system for controlling a robot so that a tool having a tip can perform a controlled removal rate of material from a workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece, either said tool movable and said workpiece stationary or said workpiece movable and said tool stationary, said robot having associated therewith a controller having tunable gains for proportional and integral control, comprising:

• a computing device having therein program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising:
• code configured to determine a command for the feed rate of either said movable tool or said movable workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece;
• and
• code configured to tune said proportional control and said integral control tunable gains in response to said feed rate command and a cutting force to be applied to said workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece to provide a command to control said cutting force to be applied to said workpiece when said tool engages said workpiece to be substantially the same as a desired cutting force.

A computer program product for regulating within a predetermined range the force an object held by a robot applies to a stationary object when said held object is brought into contact with said stationary object comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method comprising:
• obtaining a signal indicative of said force applied by said held object to said stationary object;
• and
• using said force applied indicative signal to control the rate at which said robot moves said held object in relation to said stationary object when said held object is brought into contact with said stationary object.

A system for regulating within a predetermined range the force an object held by a robot applies to a stationary object when said held object is brought into contact with said stationary object comprising:

• a computing device having therein program code usable by said computing device, said program code comprising:
• code configured to obtain a signal indicative of said force applied by said held object to said stationary object;
• and
• code configured to use said force applied indicative signal to control the rate at which said robot moves said held object in relation to said stationary object when said held object is brought into contact with said stationary object.