Abstract This paper presents a hierarchical nonlinear control algorithm for the real-time planning and control of cooperative locomotion of legged robots that collaboratively carry objects. An innovative network of reduced-order models subject to holonomic constraints, referred to as interconnected linear inverted pendulum (LIP) dynamics, is presented to study cooperative locomotion. The higher level of the proposed algorithm employs a supervisory controller, based on event-based model predictive control (MPC), to effectively compute the optimal reduced-order trajectories for the interconnected LIP dynamics. The lower level of the proposed algorithm employs distributed nonlinear controllers to reduce the gap between reduced- and full-order complex models of cooperative locomotion. In particular, the distributed controllers are developed based on quadratic programing (QP) and virtual constraints to impose the full-order dynamical models of each agent to asymptotically track the reduced-order trajectories while having feasible contact forces at the leg ends. The paper numerically investigates the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm via full-order simulations of a team of collaborative quadrupedal robots, each with a total of 22 degrees-of-freedom. The paper finally investigates the robustness of the proposed control algorithm against uncertainties in the payload mass and changes in the ground height profile. Numerical studies show that the cooperative agents can transport unknown payloads whose masses are up to 57%, 97%, and 137% of a single agent's mass with a team of two, three, and four legged robots.
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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, 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.
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- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10191126
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- American Control Conference (ACC)
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 5314 to 5321
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.23919/ACC45564.2020.9147673
