The RO MAN SY Symposia have played an important role in the development of the theory and, to a lesser extent, the practice of manipulators, walking machines and robots. Based on past experience of previous symposia, which have been held over the last 10 years, the problem arose as to what to do in the future. In other words, in what direction should further symposia be organized? A panel discussion called 'Role of RO MAN SY Symposia' was held on 29 June 1984 during the final plenary session at CISM, Udine, Italy. The Members of the Organizing Committee, Professors Konstantinov, Morecki, Roth, Vukobratovic and Vertut, and other participants were asked to give their opinions on the follow ing important questions: • should we organize future symposia? if we continue, which form should we choose?: small (60-70 participants, • 35-40 invited papers); big (100-150 participants, 60-80 papers) • what kind of topics should be included?: the more theoretical-oriented; more practical-oriented; both (what proportion?) • how frequently should RO MAN SY Symposia be organized?: every other year; every third year is working well and what should be maintained? • what • what is not working well and what should be changed to increase the impact of the symposia? would like to underline that most of the participants agree that we should con tinue to hold our symposia every other year, but to limit their small form, with invited papers at high theoretical level only in mechanics, control of motion,

This proceedings volume contains papers that have been selected after review for oral presentation at ROMANSY 2014, the 20th CISM-IFToMM Symposium on Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators. These papers cover advances on several aspects of the wide field of Robotics as concerning Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators. ROMANSY 2014 is the twentieth event in a series that started in 1973 as one of the first conference activities in the world on Robotics. The first event was held at CISM (International Centre for Mechanical Science) in Udine, Italy on 5-8 September 1973. It was also the first topic conference of IFToMM (International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science) and it was directed not only to the IFToMM community. Proceedings volumes of ROMANSY have been always published to be available, also after the symposium, to a large public of scholars and designers with the aim to give an overview of new advances and trends in the theory, design and practice of robots. This proceedings volume, like previous ones of the series, contains contributions with achievements covering many fields of Robotics as Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators that can be an inspiration for future developments.

Robot Manipulator Control offers a complete survey of control systems for serial-link robot arms and acknowledges how robotic device performance hinges upon a well-developed control system. Containing over 750 essential equations, this thoroughly up-to-date Second Edition, the book explicates theoretical and mathematical requisites for controls design and summarizes current techniques in computer simulation and implementation of controllers. It also addresses procedures and issues in computed-torque, robust, adaptive, neural network, and force control. New chapters relay practical information on commercial robot manipulators and devices and cutting-edge methods in neural network control.

An introduction to the design concept and control issues of the high-performance direct-drive robot arm.

A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation presents a mathematical formulation of the kinematics, dynamics, and control of robot manipulators. It uses an elegant set of mathematical tools that emphasizes the geometry of robot motion and allows a large class of robotic manipulation problems to be analyzed within a unified framework. The foundation of the book is a derivation of robot kinematics using the product of the exponentials formula. The authors explore the kinematics of open-chain manipulators and multifingered robot hands, present an analysis of the dynamics and control of robot systems, discuss the specification and control of internal forces and internal motions, and address the implications of the nonholonomic nature of rolling contact are addressed, as well. The wealth of information, numerous examples, and exercises make A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation valuable as both a reference for robotics researchers and a text for students in advanced robotics courses.

A modern and unified treatment of the mechanics, planning, and control of robots, suitable for a first course in robotics.

This book highlights the latest innovations and applications in robotics, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the ROMANSY 2020, the 23rd CISM IFToMM Symposium on Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators. The ROMANSY symposium is the first established conference that focuses on robotics theory and research, rather than industrial aspects. Bringing together researchers from a broad range of countries, the symposium is held bi-annually and plays a vital role in the development of the theory and practice of robotics, as well as the mechanical sciences. ROMANSY 2020 marks the 23rd installment in a series that began in 1973. The event was also the first topic-specific conference of the IFToMM, though not exclusively intended for the IFToMM community.

Addresses challenging aspects of robotics research, including the dynamics of robots with elastic parts and optimal control of manipulators. Basics in kinematics, dynamics, drives, and control and sensor systems are discussed. To more efficiently evaluate the elastic compliance of robots and their dynamic accuracy, the authors propose new computer techniques and provide much experimental data. Optimal control methods presented in the book allow robotics engineers to increase the speed and productivity of robotic operations and reduce energy consumption. New developments in robotics covered include pneumatic sensors, adaptive grippers, special robotic systems for measurement and inspection, and wall-climbing robots with technological manipulators. The book will be an important reference for mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, robotics engineers, and researchers in automatic control.

One of the fundamental requirements for the success of a robot task is the capability to handle interaction between manipulator and environment. The quantity that describes the state of interaction more effectively is the contact force at the manipulator's end effector. High values of contact force are generally undesirable since they may stress both the manipulator and the manipulated object; hence the need to seek for effective force control strategies. The book provides a theoretical and experimental treatment of robot interaction control. In the framework of model-based operational space control, stiffness control and impedance control are presented as the basic strategies for indirect force control; a key feature is the coverage of six-degree-of-freedom interaction tasks and manipulator kinematic redundancy. Then, direct force control strategies are presented which are obtained from motion control schemes suitably modified by the closure of an outer force regulation feedback loop. Finally, advanced force and position control strategies are presented which include passivity-based, adaptive and output feedback control schemes. Remarkably, all control schemes are experimentally tested on a setup consisting of a seven-joint industrial robot with open control architecture and force/torque sensor. The topic of robot force control is not treated in depth in robotics textbooks, in spite of its crucial importance for practical manipulation tasks. In the few books addressing this topic, the material is often limited to single-degree-of-freedom tasks. On the other hand, several results are available in the robotics literature but no dedicated monograph exists. The book is thus aimed at filling this gap by providing a theoretical and experimental treatment of robot force control.