Stabilization Control of Two-Wheels Driven Mobile Manipulator by Ground Reaction Torque Feedback

Abstract

This paper describes a stabilization control method of a two-wheels driven mobile manipulator by ground reaction torque feedback. As the population ages and birthrates decline, many people are expecting robots to assist them in their daily lives, such as in homes, offices, and hospitals. However, there are some issues in robot development. Human environment is complex and dynamic, such as the presence of steps, slopes, narrow paths, and unknown obstacles. Therefore, the future robots will be required to have high mobility.
The two-wheels driven mobile manipulator has excellent mobility and can realize rapid and smooth motion such as turning instantly. However, since it does not have any casters, its attitude is unstable and some attitude control is required. In addition, even if attitude control is implemented, there is a risk of falling down on rough terrains. Hence, in this paper, a stabilization control considering rough terrains is proposed. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by simulation and experimental results.