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An Efficient MPC-CPG Bionic Controller for Periodic Motions and Bounded Transitions

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  • Control Theory and Applications
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Abstract

The traditional controllers for performing desired periodic motions are often computationally intensive and can hardly satisfy the constraints of the control system. This article proposes a bionic controller for such motion patterns inspired by the control mechanism of central pattern generators (CPGs) found in vertebrates. The bionic controller combines the advantages of model predictive control (MPC) and CPGs to track arbitrary periodic trajectories, with smooth transitions between different gaits under constraints. The controller consists of three typical components: the CPG component as the inner loop to generate steady-state periodic motions, the MPC-CPG component as the outer loop for gait transitions, and the decision component to determine which loop should be utilized. The stability of the controller is demonstrated through Lyapunov’s method. The controller is then used to track a sinusoidal trajectory under various constraints, and its performance is compared to that of the separate CPG and MPC controllers. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in tracking periodic motions with constraints, providing a promising approach for developing more efficient and robust controllers for periodic motions.

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Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Enigneering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

    Xiaokang Li, Shuxin Wang, Yuhong Liu, Huan Bai & Zeyi Zhang

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  1. Xiaokang Li
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  2. Shuxin Wang
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  3. Yuhong Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuhong Liu.

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The authors declare that there is no competing financial interest or personal relationship that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Nos. 52375024, 51721003], and Shandong Province Special Funds of Laoshan Laboratory [No. LSKJ202202801]. The authors also would like to express their sincere thanks to L. Ma for her helping to revise the grammar.

Xiaokang Li received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 2021 from Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, where he is currently working toward a master’s degree in mechanical enigneering. His current research interests include dynamics and control of bionic underwater robots.

Shuxin Wang received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China, in 1987, his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, in 1990 and 1994, respectively. Dr. Shuxin Wang is now a professor and doctoral supervisor of mechanical engineering at Tianjin University. His research interests include intelligent equipment design and system dynamics. Dr. Wang’s research contribution is that he developed China’s first underwater glider “Petrel”, as well as a surgical robot “Micro-Hand”. He has published more than 200 peer reviewed academic papers.

Yuhong Liu received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Jilin University, Changchun, China, in 1995, an M.S. degree in materials engineering from Kunming University of Technology, Kunming, China, in 2001, and a Ph.D. degree in materials processing engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xian, China, in 2004. Dr. Yuhong Liu is a professor and doctoral supervisor of mechanical engineering at Tianjin University in China. Her research interests include bionic underwater robot and dynamic design of unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Dr. Liu’s main research contribution is that she proposed the dynamic model of UUV considering the effect of seawater density and developed a bionic flexible-bodied UUV with neutral buoyancy. She has published more than 80 peer reviewed academic papers.

Huan Bai received his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China, in 2017, and an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Chongqing University, Chongqing, China, in 2020. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering at Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. His research interests include design and dynamic for bionic underwater robots.

Zeyi Zhang received his B.S. degree from Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China, in 2020, and an M.S. degree from Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, in 2023, both in mechanical engineering. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. degree in the Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of the Ministry of Education, the School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. His research interests include design and control for bionic underwater robots.

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Li, X., Wang, S., Liu, Y. et al. An Efficient MPC-CPG Bionic Controller for Periodic Motions and Bounded Transitions. Int. J. Control Autom. Syst. 22, 1836–1845 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-023-0299-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12555-023-0299-5

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