Automatic design of control systems for robot manipulators using the bees algorithm

This paper proves the capability of the bees algorithm to solve complex parameter optimization problems for robot manipulator control. Two applications are presented. The first case considers the modelling of the inverse kinematics of an articulated robot arm using neural networks. The weights of the connections between the nodes need to be set so as to minimize the difference between the neural network model and the desired behaviour. In the proposed example, the bees algorithm is used to train three multilayer perceptrons to learn the inverse kinematics of the joints of a three-link manipulator. The second case considers the design of a hierarchical proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller for a flexible single-link robot manipulator. The six gains of the PID controller need to be optimized so as to minimize positional inaccuracies and vibrations. Experimental tests demonstrated the validity of the proposed approach. In the first case, the bees algorithm proved very effective at optimizing the neural network models. Compared with the results obtained employing the standard back-propagation rule and an evolutionary algorithm, the bees algorithm obtained superior results in terms of training accuracy and robustness. In the second case, the proposed method demonstrated remarkable efficiency and consistency in the tuning of the PID controller parameters. In 50 independent optimization trials, the PID controllers designed using the bees algorithm consistently outperformed a robot controller designed using a standard manual technique.