Force-angle Stability Measure Research Articles

Heavy-duty hexapod robot sideline tipping judgment and recovery

AbstractHeavy-duty hexapod robots are well-suited for physical transportation, disaster relief, and resource exploration. The immense locomotion capabilities conferred by the six appendages of these systems enable traversal over unstructured and challenging terrain. However, tipping can be a serious concern when moving with a tripod gait in these challenging environments, which may cause irreversible consequences such as compromised movement control and potential damage. In this paper, we focus on heavy-duty hexapod robot sideline tipping judgment and recovery during tripod gait motion, and a novel sideline tipping judgment and recovery method is proposed by adjusting an optimal swinging leg to the stance state. Considering the locomotion environments, motion mode, and tipping analysis, the robot’s stability margin is quantified, and the tipping event is evaluated by the Force Angle Stability Measure (FASM). The recovery method is initiated upon detecting that the robot is tipping, which involves the selection of an adjustment leg and the determination of an optimal foothold. Since the FASM is based on the foot force and robot center of gravity (CoG), the stability margin quantification expression is reformulated to the constraint form of quadratic programming (QP). Furthermore, a foot force distribution method, integrating stability margin considerations into the QP model, has been devised to ensure post-adjustment stability of the landing leg. Experiments on tipping judgment and recovery demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches on tipping judgment and recovery.

Tip-over stability enhancement for omnidirectional mobile robot

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the stability behavior of the omnidirectional mobile robot with active dual-wheel caster (ADWC) assemblies and provide a stable trajectory without any tip-over incident. The omnidirectional mobile robot to be developed is for transporting cuboid-shaped objects. Design/methodology/approach – The omnidirectional transport mobile robot is designed using an ADWC assemblies structure, the tip-over occurrence is estimated based on the support forces of an active footprint, the tip-over direction is predicted, the tip-over stability is enhanced to prevent the tip-over occurrence and a fast traveling motion is provided. Findings – The omnidirectional mobile robot tends to tip-over more on the sides with small ranges of tip-over angle. The proposed method for estimating the tip-over occurrence and enhancing the stability using the gyroscopic torque device was feasible as the tip-over prevention system of the omnidirectional mobile robot with ADWC assemblies. Originality/value – The research addresses the study of the tip-over stability for the omnidirectional mobile robot that possesses an active footprint. It also addresses the prediction of the tip-over occurrence using the derived dynamical model together with force-angle stability measure and the tip-over stability enhancement method using a single-gimbal control moment gyro device.

Tip-over Prediction for Omnidirectional Mobile Robot

This paper proposes a holonomic omnidirectional mobile robot with active dual-wheel caster assemblies as a robotic transport vehicle. With concern to the sudden dynamic changes during maneuver, the tip-over stability monitoring is very important. This work presents the estimation technique of the tip-over direction and the stability measurement. The dynamical model of the omnidirectional mobile robot is derived to estimate the net force from the supporting reaction force at each wheel which is caus ed bythe inertial and external forces. The direction of tipping and the stability metric is estimated using the force-angle stability measure (FASM). The performance of the tip-over prediction for an omnidirectional mobile robot with active dual-wheel assemblies is shown by the conducted simulations.

Tip over Stability Analysis of a Three-Wheeled Mobile Robot Capable of Traversing Uneven Terrains without Slip

A mobile robot traversing an uneven terrain can undergo tip over instability when one or more wheels of the mobile robot losses contact with the uneven terrain. In this paper, we study the tip over stability of a three wheeled mobile robot. The three wheeled mobile robot studied in this paper has torus shaped rear wheels and have the ability of lateral tilting – a condition required for slip free motion on uneven terrain. The torus shaped wheels and slip free motion makes the dynamics and tip over stability analysis more difficult and interesting. In this paper, the force-angle stability measure technique is used to analyze and detect tip over instability. Simulation results of the stability analysis shows that the wheeled mobile robot with lateral tilt of rear wheels is capable of moving on certain kinds of rough terrains without tip over.

The Force-Angle Measure of Tipover Stability Margin for Mobile Manipulators

Mobile manipulators operating in field environments will be required to apply large forces, or manipulate large loads, and to perform such tasks on uneven terrain which may cause the system to approach, or reach, a dangerous tipover instability. To avoid tipover in an automatic system, or to provide a human operator with an indication of proximity to tipover, it is necessary to define a measure of available stability margin. This work presents a new tipover stability measure (the Force-Angle stability measure) which has a simple geometric interpretation, is easily computed, and is sensitive to changes in Center of Mass height. The proposed metric is applicable to systems subject to inertial and external forces, operating over even or uneven terrains. Requirements for computation and implementation of the measure are described, and several different categories of application of the measure are presented along with useful normalizations. Performance of the Force-Angle measure is demonstrated and compared with that of other stability margin measures using a forestry vehicle simulation. Results show the importance of considering both center-of-mass height and system heaviness, and confirm the effectiveness of the Force-Angle measure in monitoring the tipover stability margin.