Distributed kinematic inversion technique for modular robotic systems

Abstract

The present work considers modular robotic structures equipped with an embedded control architecture and proposes a distributed kinematic inversion technique enabling the execution of manipulation operations. The presented strategy is not based on role assignments; all the modules are identical from the control point of view and can be therefore added, removed or exchanged on wish, with no impact on the overall control architecture. In addition every module has just to a-priori know a very limited set of local information while can be totally unaware about the characteristics of the remaining part of the chain. All the information needed for coordination are indeed on-line obtained through communication with other modules. No external centralized controller knowing the overall robot geometry and kinematics is necessary. More simply a global self-coordinating behaviour is autonomously established and propagated along the chain through data-exchanges.