Motion control system having adaptive feedforward path tracking

In a motion control system including a DC servomotor adapted to adjust the position of an output member in relation to a control voltage applied thereto, path generation means for defining third order trajectory position, velocity and acceleration parameters y, y', and y" for steering the servo output member from its current position to a target position, and path tracking means for supplying a control voltage to the servomotor for causing the output member to track the trajectory, the improvement wherein:

• the path tracking means includes:
• feedback means for computing the tracking error e according to the deviation of the output member from the trajectory position parameter y, and for generating a feedback term in relation thereto;
• feedforward means for generating a feedforward term to be combined with the feedback term to form the servomotor control voltage, the feedforward term being determined substantially in accordance with the expression:
• v.sub.1 y'+v.sub.2 y"+v.sub.3 y"'+v.sub.f,
• where the coefficients v.sub.1, v.sub.2, v.sub.3 and v.sub.f relate to characteristic operating parameters of said motion control system, whereby the dynamics of said trajectory are immediately reflected in the servomotor control voltage;
• and
• adaptive means for adjusting the value of the feedforward coefficients v.sub.1, v.sub.2, v.sub.3 and v.sub.f substantially according to the expression:
• v.sub.1 =v.sub.1 +k.sub.1 *e*y'
• v.sub.2 =v.sub.2 +k.sub.2 *e*y"
• v.sub.3 =v.sub.3 +k.sub.3 *e*y"'
• v.sub.f =v.sub.f +k.sub.f *e
• where k.sub.1, k.sub.2, k.sub.3 and k.sub.f are constants, thereby to adaptively tune the feedforward coefficients v.sub.1, v.sub.2, v.sub.3 and v.sub.f for a specific motion control system, and to compensate for variations in the characteristic operating parameters thereof, allowing the trajectory to be tracked with minimum tracking error.