A controller for hyper-redundant cooperative robots

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method for multichain hyper-redundant robot models. A hyper-redundant model is a manipulator with a great flexibility-a tentacle model which can achieve any shape in space. We will discuss a system formed by hyper-redundant manipulators grasping a common object with hardpoint control. The two-level hierarchical control is adopted. The upper level coordinator gathers all the necessary information to resolve the force distribution. Then, the lower-level local control problem is treated as a open-chain redundant manipulator control problem. A closed loop control based on the inverse dynamic model and the direct sliding mode control (DSMC) procedure are proposed. The fuzzy rules are established. Simulation results are presented and discussed.