Collaborative control and obstacle avoidance techniques for multi-mobile manipulator robots

Collaborative Control Technique for Multiple Mobile Manipulators Based on Non-Holonomic Passive Decomposition

This technology is a collaborative control and obstacle avoidance method that uses non-holonomic passive decomposition to independently control the formation maintenance of mobile manipulators, 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 translation and rotation, and movement interference factors, calculating control inputs for each independently. When obstacles are encountered, the system utilizes redundant degrees of freedom to adjust internal configurations and employs potential functions for avoidance, allowing for safe collaboration while maintaining the intended path. Applicable to multi-robot logistics, collaborative transport of large objects, and factory automation, this approach maximizes control efficiency for collaborative robots by achieving task execution and obstacle avoidance simultaneously.

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Key Features:

• Control inputs calculated and applied independently for the vector space that modifies the formation of the mobile manipulators' mechanical arms.
• Control inputs for the vector space that modifies the position of the mobile manipulators' mechanical arms or the objects being transported.
• Control inputs for the vector space that rotates and translates the mobile manipulator platforms while maintaining formation.
• Control inputs for the vector space that simultaneously interferes with formation maintenance and movement.

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning’s research on real-time control and haptic rendering for haptic interaction between multiple remote users, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s program for fostering creative mechanical and aerospace talent based on convergence knowledge.