Handling of a single object by multiple mobile robots based on caster-like dynamics

Abstract

When we consider a coordination of multiple mobile robots, it is difficult to know the geometric relations among them. Errors in position and orientation of each robot detected by dead reckoning system are inevitable because of the slippage between wheels and the ground. To overcome these problems, in this article, we introduce a caster-like dynamics for controlling the multiple mobile robots in coordination. By using the caster-like dynamics, multiple mobile robots could handle a single object without using the geometric relations among them and the shape of the object. The effectiveness of the caster-like dynamics is illustrated through the video in which several types mobile robots handle a single object in coordination.