Collective Transport of Unconstrained Objects via Implicit Coordination and Adaptive Compliance

This paper describes a method which enables multiple compliant robotic systems to coordinate on a task without direct communication or knowledge of each other, or the task inertial parameters.

Abstract

Collective Transport of Unconstrained Objects via Implicit Coordination and Adaptive Compliance

Nicole E Carey, Justin Werfel

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation 2021

We present a decentralized control algorithm for robots to aid in carrying an unknown load. Coordination occurs solely through sensing of the forces on or movement of the shared load. Robots prevent undesired motion of the load while permitting movement in the task-relevant subspace, and stabilize against unexpected events by a transient decrease in compliance. The algorithm requires no direct communication between agents, and minimal knowledge of the system or task. We demonstrate the approach in simulation using a commercially available compliant robotic platform.