Mid-air motion planning of robot using heat flow method with state constraints. (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fan, Yinai; Liu, Shenyu; Belabbas, Mohamed-Ali
• Is Part Of: Mechatronics. Volume 66(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Motion planning -- Geometric control methods -- Affine system with drift -- Free floating robot -- Conservation of angular momentum -- Nonholonomic constraints -- Underactuated system -- State constraints; Computer integrated manufacturing systems -- Periodicals; Flexible manufacturing systems -- Periodicals; Mechatronics -- Periodicals; Productique -- Périodiques; Fabrication, Systèmes flexibles de -- Périodiques; Mécatronique -- Périodiques; Computer integrated manufacturing systems; Flexible manufacturing systems; Mechatronics; Periodicals; 629.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mechatronics.2020.102323
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-4158

Abstract

Abstract: We address in this paper the problem of planning motion of free floating robot with state constraints. Due to the conservation of angular and linear momentum during the in-air motion, the problem is two-fold: one needs to design, in addition to the in-air motion, the initial impulse that imparts the robot with the appropriate momentum to perform a desired motion. The existence of state constraints such as joint limit makes the planning problem even more challenging. We propose in this paper a new method to address this problem. The method is a homotopy method which deforms an arbitrary path connecting the desired initial and final states to a feasible trajectory between these states, that is a trajectory that meets the system's dynamics and constraints. From this trajectory, the method extracts both the controls and initial momentum needed to perform the motion. The deformation of path is leaded by geometric heat flow which is defined by a Riemannian metric that encodes the system dynamics and state constraints. We illustrate the method by designing somersault motions for a diver robot.