TY - JOUR
T1 - A Predictive Control Approach for Cooperative Transportation by Multiple Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems
AU - Heshmati-Alamdari, Shahabodin
AU - Karras, George C.
AU - Kyriakopoulos, Kostas J.
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - This article addresses the problem of cooperative object transportation for multiple underwater vehicle manipulator systems (UVMSs) in a constrained workspace involving static obstacles. We propose a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) approach for a team of UVMSs in order to transport an object while avoiding significant constraints and limitations, such as kinematic and representation singularities, obstacles within the workspace, joint limits, and control input saturation. More precisely, by exploiting the coupled dynamics between the robots and the object and using certain load sharing coefficients, we design a predictive controller for each UVMS in order to cooperatively transport the object within the workspace's feasible region. Moreover, the control scheme adopts load sharing among the UVMSs according to their specific payload capabilities. In addition, the feedback relies on each UVMS's onboard measurements and no explicit data are exchanged online among the robots, thus reducing the required communication bandwidth. Finally, realistic simulation results conducted in the UwSim dynamic simulator running in robot operating system (ROS) environment as well as real-time experiments employing two small UVMSs and demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
AB - This article addresses the problem of cooperative object transportation for multiple underwater vehicle manipulator systems (UVMSs) in a constrained workspace involving static obstacles. We propose a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) approach for a team of UVMSs in order to transport an object while avoiding significant constraints and limitations, such as kinematic and representation singularities, obstacles within the workspace, joint limits, and control input saturation. More precisely, by exploiting the coupled dynamics between the robots and the object and using certain load sharing coefficients, we design a predictive controller for each UVMS in order to cooperatively transport the object within the workspace's feasible region. Moreover, the control scheme adopts load sharing among the UVMSs according to their specific payload capabilities. In addition, the feedback relies on each UVMS's onboard measurements and no explicit data are exchanged online among the robots, thus reducing the required communication bandwidth. Finally, realistic simulation results conducted in the UwSim dynamic simulator running in robot operating system (ROS) environment as well as real-time experiments employing two small UVMSs and demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
KW - Cooperative manipulation
KW - End effectors
KW - Kinematics
KW - Robot kinematics
KW - Robot sensing systems
KW - Task analysis
KW - Underwater vehicles
KW - Vehicle dynamics
KW - marine robotics
KW - nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC)
KW - underwater navigation and control
KW - underwater vehicle manipulator system (UVMS).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112465819&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/TCST.2021.3085121
DO - 10.1109/TCST.2021.3085121
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1063-6536
VL - 30
SP - 917
EP - 930
JO - I E E E Transactions on Control Systems Technology
JF - I E E E Transactions on Control Systems Technology
IS - 3
ER -