Path-velocity adaptive control for torque-limited path tracking for manipulators

Robot manipulators commonly operate in settings where fast motion, uncertain dynamics, and strict actuator limits must be handled simultaneously. While adaptive control improves trajectory-tracking performance under uncertainties, it may violate input constraints during transients or high-speed motion. In this paper, the problem of input-constrained adaptive control of manipulators is addressed. Motivated by the observation that adaptive robot control and path-velocity control can be integrated for path-tracking problems, a combined controller is proposed to ensure constraint satisfaction during adaptation. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the controller achieves higher path-tracking performance than either approach alone, while maintaining performance comparable to that of unconstrained adaptive control. The results further indicate that the proposed method improves the trajectory-tracking capability of path-velocity control.