Dynamics and control of discrete distributed manipulation

Distributed manipulation systems induce motions on objects through the application of forces at many points of contact. One such system, the modular distributed manipulator system (MDMS), is a materials handling system comprising a fixed array of actuated wheels capable of inducing arbitrary motions in the plane. The application of feedback strategies which can operate under distributed control eliminates hybrid dynamics, anal reduces control complexity, but introduces interesting nonlinear dynamics. In this paper, we analyze the stability of these dynamics using the circle criterion and show that objects can be stably manipulated. In addition, we discuss the hybrid nature of this system.