Master’s in Force and Compliance Control Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in force control and compliance engineering. 12 modules covering robot-environment interaction, force and torque sensing, impedance and admittance control, hybrid force control, passive compliance, contact-based assembly, finishing processes, physical human-robot interaction and learning under ISO/TS 15066:2016, ISO 10218-1:2025 and ISO 10218-2:2025, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Model the mechanical interaction between robot and environment.
Measure and estimate contact forces.
Design impedance and admittance controllers.
Apply hybrid force and position control.
Select passive compliance solutions.
Implement contact-based assembly and finishing tasks.
Validate the safety of physical human-robot interaction.
Who it's for
- Robotic control engineers.
- Collaborative robotics specialists.
- Finishing applications engineers.
- Physical interaction researchers.
- Real-time controller developers.
- Assembly cell integrators.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter the automotive sector.
What you'll work with
- ISO/TS 15066:2016 (collaborative robot safety and biomechanical limits)
- ISO 10218-1:2025 (safety requirements for industrial robots)
- ISO 10218-2:2025 (safety of robot applications and cells)
- ISO 9283:1998 (robot performance criteria and test methods)
- ISO 13849-1:2023 (safety-related parts of control systems)
- IEC 61800-5-2:2016 (functional safety of power drive systems)
- Directive 2006/42/EC (EU Machinery Directive)
- ros2_control
- MATLAB/Simulink
- MuJoCo
- Franka Control Interface
- Drake
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Manipulator dynamics in operational space1.2Rigid and elastic contact models1.3Environment stiffness and damping1.4Coulomb and viscous friction1.5Impact and contact transition1.6Hunt-Crossley models1.7Passivity and energy in interaction1.8Joint elasticity and transmission1.9Robots with series elastic actuators1.10Practical: identifying environment stiffness
2.16-axis force-torque sensors2.2Strain gauges and Wheatstone bridges2.3Joint torque sensors2.4Sensorless force estimation2.5Generalised momentum observers2.6Calibration and payload compensation2.7Filtering and noise in force measurement2.8Tactile skin and distributed sensors2.9Grippers with force sensing2.10Lab: calibrating a 6-axis sensor
3.1The concept of mechanical impedance3.2Cartesian impedance control3.3Choosing stiffness and damping3.4Variable and adaptive impedance3.5Stability with stiff environments3.6Null-space impedance3.7Impedance control in redundant robots3.8Lightweight robots with torque control3.9Behaviour on collision3.10Practical: impedance control in simulation
4.1Admittance versus impedance4.2Implementation on position-controlled robots4.3Hand guiding4.4Admittance stability4.5Tuning virtual mass and damping4.6Intention-based variable admittance4.7Interaction with stiff environments4.8Virtual constraints and fixtures4.9Teach-in through hand guiding4.10Lab: hand guiding with admittance control
5.1Hybrid force-position control5.2Raibert-Craig selection matrices5.3Parallel force control5.4Explicit force control with PI5.5Tracking unknown surfaces5.6Estimating contact normals5.7Force regulation in sliding contact5.8Limitations due to delay and bandwidth5.9Comparison of control schemes5.10Practical: contour tracking with constant force
6.1Remote centre compliance (RCC) devices6.2Compliance in wrists and tools6.3Series elastic actuators6.4Variable stiffness actuators6.5Pneumatic force compensators6.6Floating tools for deburring6.7Design of flexible elements6.8Passive versus active compliance6.9Selection by application6.10Case study: floating deburring tool
7.1Peg-in-hole insertion and jamming7.2Wedging and jamming conditions7.3Spiral search strategies7.4Assembly of gears and shafts7.5Fitting connectors and clips7.6Screwdriving with torque control7.7Detecting end of insertion7.8Learning insertion strategies7.9Tolerances and calibration7.10Lab: electrical connector insertion
8.1Robotic polishing with constant force8.2Sanding free-form surfaces8.3Deburring cast parts8.4Robotic grinding8.5Tool wear compensation8.6Path generation from CAD8.7Surface quality measurement8.8Robot stiffness in machining8.9Vibration and chatter8.10Case study: polishing cell for taps and fittings
9.1Physical collaboration and guiding9.2Force-based intention estimation9.3Object handover between human and robot9.4Biomechanical limits in ISO/TS 150669.5Collision detection and reaction9.6Power and force limiting9.7Collaborative robots with torque sensors9.8Co-manipulation of loads9.9Ergonomics in shared tasks9.10Practical: measuring collision forces
10.1Learning force profiles from demonstration10.2Learning variable impedance10.3Reinforcement learning with contact10.4Contact simulation in MuJoCo10.5The sim-to-real gap in contact10.6Policies with tactile feedback10.7Data-driven force models10.8Safety during learning10.9Evaluating learned policies10.10Lab: learned insertion in MuJoCo
11.1Real-time controllers with ros2_control11.2Torque interfaces on commercial robots11.3Control frequency and latency11.4Practical stability and passivity11.5Experimental parameter tuning11.6Validation on test benches11.7Controller safety and limits11.8Documentation and repeatability11.9Integration into industrial cells11.10Case study: tuning force control on a cobot
12.1Definition of the contact task12.2Modelling the robot and the environment12.3Selection of the control scheme12.4Force sensing design12.5Implementation in simulation12.6Experimental bench tests12.7Stability and accuracy analysis12.8Conclusions and applications12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits alongside your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is ros2_control, MATLAB/Simulink, MuJoCo, Franka Control Interface and Drake, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: impedance control on collaborative robots, polishing with constant force, and insertion tests with a 6-axis sensor. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: ISO/TS 15066:2016, ISO 10218-1:2025, ISO 10218-2:2025, ISO 9283:1998, ISO 13849-1:2023, IEC 61800-5-2:2016, Directive 2006/42/EC.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent proven professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with ros2_control, MATLAB/Simulink, MuJoCo, Franka Control Interface and Drake, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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