Suming Li, Hao Gong, Jianhua Liu, J. Li, Xinlu Deng
Abstract As the demands for assembly quality and efficiency increase, robot-assisted assembly applications are becoming more widespread. Peg-in-hole assembly, as a typical form of assembly, has been widely researched by scholars. Currently, robotic peg-in-hole assembly faces challenges such as complex analysis of part contact forces, difficulties in task modeling, and the failure of traditional strategies. Simply controlling the position of the robot's end effector cannot achieve high precision, high efficiency peg-in-hole assembly. Flexible assembly, especially intelligent flexible assembly, is becoming the future development trend. So there is a lack of comprehensive reviews on robotic flexible peg-in-hole assembly. This paper first outlines the basic components of peg-in-hole assembly and summarizes the two basic operational processes of peg-in-hole assembly, along with their related theoretical foundations. We then review and analyze the research on passive compliant assembly, active compliant assembly, and intelligent flexible assembly. Finally, it presents an outlook on the future development directions of robotic peg-in-hole assembly.