An Adaptive Control Method with Disturbance Estimation for Underwater Manipulation

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Although the authors have put much effort into this paper, however, the reviewer still has some reservations highlighted below:

1) The authors proposed a An Adaptive Control Method with Disturbance Estimation for Underwater Manipulation, however, the presented work lacks novelty.

2)The overall contributions are not clearly presented. In the introduction, the authors simply presented what existing works have done and what they have done. However, the main differences from existing works should also be articulated. 

3) The author's contributions in the light of enlisting work are unclear, making it difficult to understand the advancements made to improve the state-of-the-art literature.

4) The terminology is not explained accurately, and some formula parameters are misdescribed in this paper. Also, the grammar in the paper is not complete, including the formula or the sentence.

5) The figures are not clearly stated, which makes it difficult to understand the underlying idea. For instance, Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig.3 requires further details to be added.

6) Effective comparison of the presented work with literature and state-of-the-art is required.

7) The novelty seems to be limited, especially from a technical point of view.

8)The terminology is not explained accurately, and some parameters are misdescribed in this paper. Also, the grammar in the paper is not complete, including the formula or the sentence.  

1.     It is suggested to break long sentences into shorter, more concise ones. They should also consider using active voice instead of passive voice to make the writing clearer and more engaging.

2.     The authors should avoid overly complicated or technical vocabulary that might be difficult for readers to understand. Instead, they should use appropriate terminology that is relevant to the topic of the manuscript.

3.     The authors are suggested to carefully proofread their manuscript for common grammar errors such as subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and proper punctuation.

4.     Further use simple and direct language to convey their ideas clearly, and avoid using unnecessary words or phrases that could confuse the reader.

5.     Suggest the authors to use appropriate transitional phrases and connectors to ensure that the manuscript flows smoothly and the ideas are connected logically.

6.     If the authors are struggling with English grammar and writing, suggest them to consider hiring a professional editor or proofreader to help improve the clarity and quality of their manuscript.

Author Response

   Thank you for your advice. The detailed response is in the attachment file. 

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

- The article's main concept(s)

Marine robotics is growing its space on ocean operations. AUVs, ROVs and ASVs are being used as new tools to perform maritime tasks. The maritime environment is harsh, involves pressure and industrial operations are becoming more complex. Therefore, the use of intervention ROVs or Underwater vehicle-manipulator systems (UVMS) is mandatory.

Underwater manipulator robots are designed to provide human-like manipulation capabilities in complex and dangerous marine environments.

The authors present an adaptative control scheme for UVMS motion control. Design a disturbance observer to improve the robustness of the model and be able to handle disturbances from manipulator motion, sea currents or unexpected force disturbances.

The UVMS are normally a hybrid solution between an ROV and AUV that is equipped with underwater robotic arms. Due to power limitations, they are normally used to light intervention tasks.

The contribution is based on controlling the manipulator end-effector precisely and in the desirable position inside the task space. The authors present an adaptative control scheme for the end-effector trajectory tracking of the UVMS (control of the vehicle, control of the manipulator, and control allocation solution).

The authors performed real-scenario tests with the Variable Structure Robot platform on a swimming pool. The current method was compared to the Sliding Mode Control scheme.

  

- Overall Comment

In overall,

 This document shows a reasonable understanding of underwater robotic manipulation control solutions based on adaptative control schemes - their key factors. The work has a good theoretical base, using useful references and information of general knowledge.

 

It presents a new and adaptative method where the authors use an observer stage to create a robust model and then apply an adaptative control to the manipulator trajectory.

The manuscript has a simple structure and is easy to read. The idea is very simple. The conclusion is very short. The conclusions resume the paper's contribution and explain common sense knowledge.

…

 

- Weak and Strong points

Strengths

v  A good resume in underwater marine robotics and the use of vehicle-manipulator systems;

v  Adaptative control method for underwater manipulator vehicle systems;

v  Real tests on the pool;

v  .

Weakness

v  Very short Conclusions;

v  Should point out the main contribution;

v  Explain the UVMS used for the pool tests;

 

v  …

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your advice. The detailed response is in the attachment file. 

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

The authors have made considerable efforts in revising the manuscript. The reviewer has no more concerns. 

The authors have made considerable efforts in revising the English spell check and sentence structure of the manuscript. The purpose of this revision was to attract the readers to understand the underlying idea. The reviewer believes that authors should go through the manuscript again if in case there exists any spelling/typo mistakes.