Control Constraints

As with all real world control problems, there are limits to what the system being controlled can do. In this particular case, the main constraint is that of the system dynamics, i.e. the equations of motion. This means that any solution found must be dynamically feasible. Apart from this, the control input is typically bounded. For robots with revolute joints, this means that the torque which can be generated by the actuators is limited to plus or minus some value. Likewise, the joints themselves generally have limited operating ranges for various mechanical reasons. In addition to these common limiting factors, other phenomena such as unilateral and bilateral contacts can come into play.