After successful completion of the course, students are able to...

• compare and apply the most important methods for compliant motion control of robot manipulators.
• realize algorithms for fault detection and disturbance observers.
• compute a hierarchical controller for simultaneous execution of multiple tasks.
• apply safety concepts for collaborative robots (cobots).
• describe the most important model properties and control approaches for elastic robots.
• understand the main template models and parameters for the analysis and control of legged robots.
• describe at least two methods for gait generation of bipedal legged robots.

Advanced control approaches for manipulation and locomotion: Compliant Motion Control, Hybrid Force/Position Control, Cartesian impedance- and admittance control, Passivity-based adaptive control in robotics, FDIR (Fault Detection, Identification, and Recovery), Disturbance observers, robot safety, grasping, Micro-Macro-Manipulation, Hierarchic control of multiple tasks, Operational Space Formulation, Elastic robots, Template models  and ground reference points in locomotion: Zero Moment Point, Center-of-Pressure, Capture Point, Gait stabilization, Limit cycle analysis for passive dynamic walkers, Hybrid zero dynamics.

The material is presented on the blackboard and with slides. To deepen, reinforce, and practically apply the material, computation exercises and simulations using the software Matlab/Simulink will be conducted.

The examination modalities contain the submission of exercises as well as the implementation of a control problem under supervision of the teaching assistants based on an existing scientific publication. The implementation and results of the control problem will be reported by a short written abstract and a short oral presentation.

Contents of the lecture "Foundations of Robotics"