Control

Torque Control

Torque control is a robot control mode in which the commanded quantity at each joint is torque rather than position or velocity, giving direct authority over the forces the robot exerts. It underpins impedance control, gravity compensation, and compliant contact behavior, but demands accurate dynamics models, high-bandwidth current control, and either joint torque sensors or well-characterized actuators. Torque-controlled platforms such as collaborative arms and modern quadrupeds behave gently under unexpected contact.

Why it matters for physical AI

Contact-rich manipulation and dynamic legged locomotion both hinge on regulating interaction forces rather than just positions, and torque-level actuation is what allows learned policies to express compliant, safe behavior on real hardware.