Study on Omnidirectional Coordinated Conveyance System for Large Objects Using Multiple Two-Wheeled Robots

Abstract

In recent years, there are a lot of development and research on automatic conveyance due to concerns about the decrease in the working population. However, conventional research has problems such as route selection is limited due to the large turning radius and the inability to pass through narrow aisles. To solve these problems, we propose coordinated conveyance system using multiple two-wheeled robots. This system can move a transport cart in all directions by controlling multiple two-wheeled robots with an active caster control model so the issues can be solved. In this study, we considered and discussed algorithms for forward kinematics calculation by modeling using virtual link models, detection of uncoordinated states using the change in virtual link length as a flag and updating kinematic models when the number of robot connections changes, which are necessary for controlling this system. We also verified these algorithms using a simulator developed in C++.