Distributed Feedback Controllers for Stable Cooperative Locomotion of Quadrupedal Robots: A Virtual Constraint Approach

This paper aims to develop distributed feedback control algorithms that allow cooperative locomotion of quadrupedal robots which are coupled to each other by holonomic constraints. These constraints can arise from collaborative manipulation of objects during locomotion. In addressing this problem, t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2019-10
Main Authors: Kaveh Akbari Hamed, Kamidi, Vinay R, Pandala, Abhishek, Wen-Loong, Ma, Ames, Aaron D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Computer simulation
Control algorithms
Control systems
Controllers
Domains
End effectors
Feedback control
Hybrid systems
Locomotion
Mathematical models
Multiagent systems
Predictive control
Quadratic programming
State variable
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper aims to develop distributed feedback control algorithms that allow cooperative locomotion of quadrupedal robots which are coupled to each other by holonomic constraints. These constraints can arise from collaborative manipulation of objects during locomotion. In addressing this problem, the complex hybrid dynamical models that describe collaborative legged locomotion are studied. The complex periodic orbits (i.e., gaits) of these sophisticated and high-dimensional hybrid systems are investigated. We consider a set of virtual constraints that stabilizes locomotion of a single agent. The paper then generates modified and local virtual constraints for each agent that allow stable collaborative locomotion. Optimal distributed feedback controllers, based on nonlinear control and quadratic programming, are developed to impose the local virtual constraints. To demonstrate the power of the analytical foundation, an extensive numerical simulation for cooperative locomotion of two quadrupedal robots with robotic manipulators is presented. The numerical complex hybrid model has 64 continuous-time domains, 192 discrete-time transitions, 96 state variables, and 36 control inputs.
ISSN:2331-8422