On the Use of Energy Tanks for Robotic Systems

In this document we describe and discuss energy tanks, a control algorithm which has gained popularity inside the robotics and control community over the last years. This article has the threefold scope of i) introducing to the reader the topic in a simple yet precise way, starting with a throughout description of the energy-aware framework, where energy tanks find their genesis; ii) summarising the range of applications of energy tanks, including an original reflection about different formulations of those; iii) discussing limits and future challenges involving energy tanks and energy-aware control in general.