A three-loop model-following control structure: theory and implementation

This article presents a novel three-loop control system, which supplements control structures known from the literature as model following control (MFC). The major advantage of the proposed system is its high robustness to process parameter variations; it is much higher than that offered by single-loop or two-loop control systems. Features of the new structure are revealed by a theoretical analysis that has been carried out from the viewpoint of requirements for a force/pose controller of a Stäubli RX60 manipulator. This article shows how the proposed control structure responds to such strong process parameter variations and makes a comparison to results yielded by single-loop control structures.