Collaborative Control and Obstacle Avoidance Technique for Multiple Mobile Manipulators

This technology is a collaborative control and obstacle avoidance method for multiple mobile manipulators that uses non-holonomic passive decomposition to independently control manipulator formation, object transport, and obstacle avoidance tasks within separated vector spaces.

When multiple mobile manipulators collaborate, tasks such as maintaining manipulator formation, moving objects, and avoiding obstacles often interfere with one another, making precise control difficult. Furthermore, single-path control methods struggle to efficiently handle both obstacle avoidance and task execution simultaneously.

This technology proposes a method that decomposes the state of mobile manipulators into four independent vector spaces: formation changes, object position changes, platform movement and rotation, and movement interference factors. By calculating control inputs for each independently, the system can perform internal shape adjustments using redundant degrees of freedom and avoidance maneuvers using potential functions when obstacles are detected, allowing for safe collaboration while maintaining the intended path. It can be applied to multi-robot logistics, collaborative transport of large objects, and factory automation, maximizing control efficiency for collaborative robots by achieving task execution and obstacle avoidance simultaneously.

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Key Features:

• Configuration that decomposes the state of multiple mobile manipulators into four independent vector spaces
• Control input calculation unit that independently controls manipulator formation changes and object position changes
• Configuration that separates and controls platform movement, rotation, and movement interference factors
• Performs internal shape changes using redundant degrees of freedom and avoidance using potential functions when obstacles are encountered