Certain examples described herein provide a method of controlling a robotic device including a body, an end effector coupled to the body by one or more joints and a propulsion system to drive the one or more joints to control a state of the robotic device. Example methods include applying impedance control to the robotic device; determining a reference trajectory of the end effector; detecting an applied external force and/or torque acting on the robotic device causing a departure from the reference trajectory; calculating an adjustment to be applied to one or more of the one or more joints to compensate for the detected applied external force and/or torque; and using the calculated adjustment to control the one or more joints to actuate the end effector and recover the reference trajectory of the end effector.

The invention provides a control device comprising: an actual value obtaining part, obtaining a torque actual value and a velocity actual value, wherein the torque actual value represents a torque generated by the driving source and the velocity actual value represents a velocity of the motion body; an inferring part, which calculates an external force inferred value and a velocity inferred value every other operation period based on the torque actual value by using an operation formula of a predetermined model representing driving of the motion body, wherein the external force inferring value represents an external force generated by the control system; and an output part, evaluating a reliability of the external force inferred value based on the velocity inferred value calculated together if the inferring part calculates the external inferred value, and effectively outputting the external force inferred value when it is judged that there is a designated reliability.

The invention provides a control device comprising: an actual value obtaining part, obtaining a torque actual value and a velocity actual value, wherein the torque actual value represents a torque generated by the driving source and the velocity actual value represents a velocity of the motion body; an inferring part, which calculates an external force inferred value and a velocity inferred value every other operation period based on the torque actual value by using an operation formula of a predetermined model representing driving of the motion body, wherein the external force inferring value represents an external force generated by the control system; and an output part, evaluating a reliability of the external force inferred value based on the velocity inferred value calculated together if the inferring part calculates the external inferred value, and effectively outputting the external force inferred value when it is judged that there is a designated reliability.