Coordinated control of a nonholonomic mobile manipulator

Abstract

In this paper, we present a control algorithm for a nonholonomic mobile manipulator built from a n joints robot manipulator mounted on a nonholonomic mobile platform. We want the manipulator end-effector location (position and orientation) to evolve between starting and final required locations and to follow a required trajectory (defined as a function of the time). We describe a global control which calculates the generalized coordinates for both the manipulator and the platform. Two types of control are presented; the first uses a set of additional tasks and the second minimizes a quadratic criterion. A comparison between these two types is made on an academic mobile manipulator, which consists of a double-pendulum mounted on the platform. The implementation of the first type is made on a real mobile manipulator which consists of the GT6A six revolute joints manipulator mounted on the HILARE H2bis platform.