Robust passivity-based nonlinear controller design for bilateral teleoperation system under variable time delay and variable load disturbance

This research focuses on implementing a robust passivity-based nonlinear control method for bilateral/teleoperation systems. The key challenge is addressing communication pathways between the master and slave, control delays, and load disturbances, which can lead to instability and reduced transparency. To tackle these issues, the proposed controller incorporates a second-order super-twisting sliding-mode observer to counteract communication and control delays. A sliding mode assist disturbance observer compensates for load torque variations. The approach aims to ensure stability and transparency by handling time-varying delays. The system model comprises two interconnected direct-drive motors, simulating robotic configurations without a physical robot. The nonlinear controller framework simplifies the complex bilateral control problem, significantly improving stability and transparency performance. Computer simulations with step and sinusoidal inputs demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, providing a satisfactory level of accuracy and transparency between estimated and actual slave positions, even with varying delays and load variations. The research contributes to control engineering by offering a robust method to enhance bilateral system performance, ensuring stable and transparent communication between the master and slave, particularly suitable for real-time internet-based bilateral control systems.