Operating system and method for mechanical structures using a flight manipulator

Aerial Manipulator Technology for Manipulating Unknown Structures via End-Effector Velocity Estimation

This technology is an operating system and method for mechanical structures that controls the thrust and moment of a multirotor by estimating the real-time velocity of a robotic arm's end-effector, inputting it into a directional filter to dynamically model the movement direction and mechanical constraints of unknown structures like drawers, and optimizing ideal force settings and end-effector trajectories.

When aerial manipulators operate constrained mechanical structures such as drawers or doors, effective interaction and precise force control have been difficult due to a lack of prior information regarding the structure's movement direction, mass, damping, and other dynamic characteristics.

This technology proposes a method that detects structural movement using an end-effector velocity estimator, estimates the constrained movement direction through a directional filter, and calculates the appropriate force required for structural movement via an ideal force setting unit. This allows for the control of the multirotor's position and orientation to interact harmoniously with mechanical structures. It can be utilized for facility inspections, opening doors in disaster zones, and remote operations, significantly enhancing the operational autonomy of aerial robots by enabling interaction without prior information about the target structure.

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Key Features:

• A position acquisition unit that obtains real-time location information for an aerial manipulator consisting of a multirotor equipped with a robotic arm.
• An end-effector velocity estimation unit that estimates the velocity of the end-effector attached to the tip of the robotic arm based on the location information.
• A directional filter that estimates the movement direction of the mechanical structure using the velocity of the end-effector.
• An ideal force setting unit that moves the mechanical structure at an ideal speed, and a controller that calculates the thrust and moment of the multirotor.

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This invention was developed with support from the Convergence Knowledge-Based Creative Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.