A control system may include: a motor configured to power a driven object; and circuitry configured to: generate a first driving force command to drive the motor during a first control; estimate a first force acting on the motor during the first control based, at least in part, on the first driving force command; generate a second driving force command to drive the motor during a second control after the first control; estimate a second force acting on the motor during the second control based, at least in part, on the second driving force command; and estimate an external force acting on the driven object during the second control based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first force and the second force.

A control system may include: a motor configured to power a driven object; and circuitry configured to: generate a first driving force command to drive the motor during a first control; estimate a first force acting on the motor during the first control based, at least in part, on the first driving force command; generate a second driving force command to drive the motor during a second control after the first control; estimate a second force acting on the motor during the second control based, at least in part, on the second driving force command; and estimate an external force acting on the driven object during the second control based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first force and the second force.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

A device and method of iterative motion control is described using a non-linear table in a feedback loop to convert a desired acceleration input to motor drive outputs, where the motor is part of a controlled motion system. The table may be a two- or three-dimensional table additionally responsive to the current system state, such as shaft speed, position, or phase angle. The motor may be a two-coil stepper motor where the corrected non-linearity serves the purpose of maintaining desired toque. Inputs may be waypoints comprising both a target position and target velocity. The motion system may use an inverted SCARA arm. Up to three non-linear correction tables may be used: a first corrects motor steps to a more accurate shaft angle; a second corrects motor drive signals to achieve desired torque; a third correct motor drive signals responsive to shaft speed. Tables may be generated by a series of motion passes using a fixed shaft offset angle for each pass.

A device and method of iterative motion control is described using a non-linear table in a feedback loop to convert a desired acceleration input to motor drive outputs, where the motor is part of a controlled motion system. The table may be a two- or three-dimensional table additionally responsive to the current system state, such as shaft speed, position, or phase angle. The motor may be a two-coil stepper motor where the corrected non-linearity serves the purpose of maintaining desired toque. Inputs may be waypoints comprising both a target position and target velocity. The motion system may use an inverted SCARA arm. Up to three non-linear correction tables may be used: a first corrects motor steps to a more accurate shaft angle; a second corrects motor drive signals to achieve desired torque; a third correct motor drive signals responsive to shaft speed. Tables may be generated by a series of motion passes using a fixed shaft offset angle for each pass.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

A motor controller including a control unit designed for receiving and/or processing a movement signal and for outputting a control signal depending on the movement signal, and including a power stage which is designed for enabling an electric energy flow as a function of the control signal, and further including a sensor designed for detecting a movement of the electric motor and for providing a movement-dependent sensor signal to a sensor input of the control unit, wherein the control unit is designed for detecting a usage-dependent load value for a movement system driven by the electric motor and wherein the control unit includes a component memory for storing parameters of components of the movement system, a processing device for combining the parameters with incoming sensor signals to produce a load value and a load value memory for storing the established load value.