Stiffness Control

Stiffness control focuses on dynamically adjusting a robot's resistance to external forces, mimicking the adaptability of biological systems like human limbs. Current research emphasizes developing robust control frameworks, often employing dynamical systems models, Gaussian processes for learning-based approaches, and control barrier functions for safety, to achieve precise position and stiffness control across diverse tasks, including locomotion and manipulation. This research is crucial for enhancing robot safety and dexterity in human-robot interaction, prosthetics, and other applications requiring compliant and adaptable robotic systems.