Abstract
Robots designed to support the transportation of goods are expected to play an active role in addressing social problems caused by the declining birthrate and aging population. Conventional mobile robots that support cargo transportation are generally three- or four-wheeled. As a result, most of them are large and difficult to maneuver, and are primarily used in factories and warehouses where the environment is stable. However, they have not been put to practical use in situations where the environment changes rapidly, such as in human living environments. In this study, we demonstrate that an inverted two-wheeled vehicle, which has the advantages of being relatively lightweight, highly maneuverable, and having a small footprint, can move agilely in a complex and confined space by applying human manipulation force, and that it can move in cooperation with humans through force control. A force sensor was mounted on top of an inverted two-wheeled vehicle, and the operator's manipulation force was applied to the vehicle. In response to the applied manipulation force, force control is performed using admittance control with a variable viscosity coefficient, and the inverted two-wheeled vehicle moves in a coordinated manner to minimize the manipulation force. With the introduction of this system, the operator can transport a load with a minimum force, even in a complex environment.
