Online motion accuracy compensation of industrial servomechanisms using machine learning approaches

This paper addresses the crucial aspect of position error modeling and compensation in industrial servomechanisms with the aim to achieve accurate control and high-performance operation in industrial robots and automated production systems. The inherent complexity and nonlinear behavior of these modules, usually consisting of a servomotor and a speed reducer, often challenge traditional analytical modeling approaches. In response, the study extensively explores the design and implementation of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to obtain a comprehensive model of the Transmission Error (TE) in rotating vector reducers, which is a main source of robot motion accuracy errors. The ML models are trained with experimental data obtained from a special purpose test rig, where the reducer is tested under different combinations of input speed, applied load and oil temperature. In the second part of the work, the resulting predictive model, tailored to capture the intricate dynamics of the analyzed reducer, is imported into a programmable logic controller to enable online compensation strategies during the execution of custom motion profiles. Experimental tests are conducted using two distinct motion profiles: one generated with a cycloidal law, typical of industrial machinery, and the other extrapolated from the joints of an industrial robot during a pick-and-place task. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, enabling accurate prediction and substantial reductions (over 90%) in the overall reducer TE through the implemented predictive model.