Abstract
Skid-steering mobile robots are widely used because of their simple mechanism and robustness. However, due to the complex wheel-ground interactions and the kinematic constraints, it is a challenge to understand the kinematics and dynamics of such a robotic platform. In this paper, we develop an analysis and experimental kinematic scheme for a skid-steering wheeled vehicle based-on a laser scanner sensor. The kinematics model is established based on the boundedness of the instantaneous centers of rotation (ICR) of treads on the 2D motion plane. The kinematic parameters (the ICR coefficient , the path curvature variable and robot speed ), including the effect of vehicle dynamics, are introduced to describe the kinematics model. Then, an exact but costly dynamic model is used and the simulation of this model’s stationary response for the vehicle shows a qualitative relationship for the specified parameters and . Moreover, the parameters of the kinematic model are determined based-on a laser scanner localization experimental analysis method with a skid-steering robotic platform, Pioneer P3-AT. The relationship between the ICR coefficient and two physical factors is studied, i.e., the radius of the path curvature and the robot speed . An empirical function-based relationship between the ICR coefficient of the robot and the path parameters is derived. To validate the obtained results, it is empirically demonstrated that the proposed kinematics model significantly improves the dead-reckoning performance of this skid–steering robot.
Highlights
Skid-steering motion is widely used for wheeled and tracked mobile robots [1]
Building upon the research by Mandow [2] and Moosavian [13], we develop an experimental kinematics model for a skid-steering mobile robot
1.4 λ with Pioneer P3-AT robot using In Figure 5, we can find that decreases as increases, so there is a relationship between these two parameters
Summary
Skid-steering motion is widely used for wheeled and tracked mobile robots [1]. Steering in this way is based on controlling the relative velocities of the left and right side drives. Experimental validations have been conducted for both tracked vehicles and skid-steering mobile robots These correspond to the position of ideal differential drive wheels for a particular terrain. Because a laser scanner is accurate and efficient for mobile robot localization and dead-reckoning [18,19], with a laser-scanner-based experimental method, an approximating function is derived to describe the relationship between the ICR values of the robot and the radius of curvature of the path and speed of the robot. An empirical function relationship between the ICR values of the robot and the path parameters is derived with this laser-scanner-based experimental method. Dead-reckoning performance shows that the empirical function kinematics model improves the motion estimation accuracy significantly This laser-scanner-based method is easy to operate and does not add extra sensors or change the vehicle mechanical structure and control system.
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