This thesis outlines a methodology for controlling both the contact force and the position ot a robotic manipulator in contact with a compliant environment The control law is configured to have an outer force feedback loop closed around an inner position loop. The motivation for configuring the controller in this manner is that the existing position servo loop can be left unaltered. The amount of re-engineering that is required in order to implement force control on a typical industrial robot is therefore minimal:​ the addition of a force/moment sensor and a method of exchanging information between the control loops is all that is required. The force controller could then exist as a separate, external unit. The algorithm presented here thus provides the user with a simple method to retro-fit a position controlled robot to enable force control. This can result in an enormous cost savings when upgrading a robot from a position controlled device to one that can regulate both position and contact force. In this algorithm, the outer force loop modifies the desired position input trajectory by solving two sets of differential equations as initial value problems in order to achieve the desired contact force and end effector position. Solving these equations results in the creation of the virtual trajectory. Due to servo compliance and dynamic effects, the virtual trajectory is not actually followed by the robot. However, by commanding this trajectory the desired position is followed and the desired contact force is generated. A recursive least squares parameter estimation algorithm is used to estimate the environment parameters on-line in order to improve performance. Simulation results are presented in order to show the effectiveness of this algorithm. Based upon the simulation results, a lorce control algorithm is implemented on the CRS A460 six DOF articulated industrial robot in addition to achieving force tracking capability, it is demonstrated that improved position tracking results from this algorithm.