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| Physically Cooperating Mobile Robots |
Mobile
robots are useful for applications such as search and rescue, urban
infiltration etc, where the goal is to explore unknown, potentially
hazardous terrains. Large teams of small, cheap robots have
advantages over small numbers of large, expensive robots, such as
covering more ground in less time, access to tight spaces,
redundancy, and expendability (Figure 1). One of the major challenges in
employing small mobile robots is their restricted mobility on rough
terrain. Physical cooperation among robots is a solution to overcome the mobility restrictions
of small mobile robots.
We are developing a team of mobile
robots in which the team members connect with each other via
un-actuated or passive linkages and push-pull on each other to
overcome obstacles. Our focus is on the development of
the low level system components. Recognizing that small robots need
to overcome discrete obstacles, we develop specific analytical
maneuvers to negotiate each obstacle where a maneuver is
composed of a sequence of fundamental cooperative behaviors.
We believe that such a hierarchical approach is a useful solution
for mobility improvement of team.
The overall goal is
to design the mechanisms and the behaviors for mobile robot
cooperation such that they can be employed on existing mobile robots
with minimal modifications and where interaction takes place via an
un-actuated link through the use of ground forces rather than an
actuated link. We analyze the cooperative lift behavior and
demonstrate that useful maneuvers such a gap crossing can be built
using this behavior.
- Gap Crossing Movie (watch)
We have designed a
proof-of-concept hardware system, developed a complete
dynamical model for and designed a de-centralized
controller for it to achieve desired maneuvers. We have
demonstrated that interesting behaviors can be developed
by utilizing the robot dynamics.
Figure 1 |
Figure 2 |
Figure 3 |
Journal Articles in Robotics/Dynamics Area
Behaviors
for Physical Cooperation Between Robots for Mobility Improvement
Deshpande, A. D., and Luntz, J.
E.,
Accepted to appear in Autonomous Robots.
[Abstract], Download:
pdf [KB]
Conference Papers in Robotics/Dynamics Area
Decentralized
control for a team of physically cooperating robots
Deshpande, A. D.,
and Luntz, J. E.,
In Proceedings of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on
Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2003.
[Abstract], Download:
pdf [KB]
Enhancing
mobility of a group of mobile robots via physical co-operation among
the robots
Deshpande, A. D.,
and Luntz, J. E.,
In
Proceedings of SPIE Conference on Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology
V, 2003.
[Abstract], Download:
pdf [KB]
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