Force Control Based on Mechanical Admittance for Robotic Massages
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/ja-cea.2025.46.12150Keywords:
Biological and Medical Systems, Computer for Control, Control Design, Human Machine Systems, Mechatronic Systems, Non-Linear Control Systems, RoboticsAbstract
This study presents a robotic massage system based on force control through mechanical admittance, implemented on an Elfin 5 collaborative robot with a force/torque sensor. The modular architecture implemented in ROS 2 integrates trajectory interpolation and force control, which dynamically adjusts the Cartesian position of the end-effector to maintain constant contact force and computes the joint positions via inverse kinematics. Three experimental tests were conducted with a reference force of 4 N, achieving precise force tracking (Emean = 0,49N), though with significant increases when changing subjects (Emean = 0,79N) and speed (Emean = 1,85N). The results demonstrate the system’s potential to maintain the desired force along the Z-axis, while highlighting the need to incorporate realistic skin models and adaptive algorithms, such as reinforcement learning, to improve performance and personalize massage therapy. This work lays the foundation for advanced and safe robotic massage systems, complementing human intervention in physical rehabilitation.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Cisnal, Edwin Daniel Oña Simbaña, Alberto Jardón Huete, Juan Carlos Fraile, Javier Pérez Turiel
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