Neural Network-Based Transfer Learning of Manipulator Inverse Displacement Analysis

In this paper, the feasibility of applying transfer learning for modeling robot manipulators is examined. A neural network-based transfer learning approach of inverse displacement analysis of robot manipulators is studied. Neural networks with different structures are applied utilizing data from different configurations of a manipulator for training purposes. Then, the transfer learning was conducted between manipulators with different geometric layouts. The training is performed on both the neural networks with pretrained initial parameters and the neural networks with random initialization. To investigate the rate of convergence of data fitting comprehensively, different values of performance targets are defined. The computing epochs and performance measures are compared. It is presented that, depending on the structure of the neural network, the proposed transfer learning can accelerate the training process and achieve higher accuracy. For different datasets, the transfer learning approach improves their performance differently.