Time Domain Passivity Control (TDPC) is a form of control that aims to guarantee a system to behave passively. Previous literature has developed a ‘Two-Layer Architecture’ (TLA) for Bilateral Tele-robotic systems combining passivity and transparency control objectives by combining TDPC and Impedance Control using energy tanks and energy exchange protocols. Literature has demonstrated that variable impedance (VI) control enables superior transparency performance in typical applications for Tele-robotics. However, literature has shown that combining variable impedance with TLA is non-trivial, and thus, an extension of TLA was proposed to solve the issues that arise from this combination. Literature demonstrates validity of this solution under highly limited circumstances, in simulation of a Bilateral Tele-Robotic setup consisting of two robot arms.
In this thesis, the proposed extension is investigated when measurement noise is present throughout the system. The effect measurement noise has on the extension turns out to be non-trivial under certain circumstances. Therefore, the noise characteristics of applications must always be considered when aiming to combine TLA with VI control, lest passivity and transparency guarantees may not be satisfactory. The exact circumstances and resulting consequences in which measurement noise affects TLA with VI are presented in this thesis.