Synchronous control is a fundamental and significant problem for controlling a multi-joint robot. In this article, by applying two coupled Rayleigh oscillators as the referred central pattern generator models for the two joints of a two-degrees-of-freedom robot, the central pattern generator-based coupling control method is proposed for controlling the two-degrees-of-freedom robot's joints. On these bases, the co-simulation model of the two-degrees-of-freedom robot with the proposed central pattern generator-based coupling control method is established via ADAMS and MATLAB/Simulink, and the performance of the central pattern generator-based coupling control method on synchronizing two motions of two-degrees-of-freedom robot's joints is numerically simulated. Furthermore, the experimental setup of a two-degrees-of-freedom robot is established based on the real-time simulations system via the proposed central pattern generator-based coupling control method. And experiments are carried out on the established setup. Simulations and experimental results show that the phase of the controlled two-degrees-of-freedom robot's joints is mutual locked to other, and their motion pattern can be adjusted through the coupling parameter in the central pattern generator-based coupling control method. In conclusion, the proposed central pattern generator-based coupling control method can control the two-degrees-of-freedom robot's joints to produce the coordinated motions and adjust the rhythmic pattern of the two-degrees-of-freedom robot.
Keywords: Rayleigh oscillator; Two-degrees-of-freedom robot; central pattern generator; synchronous control.