テザー式可変慣性姿勢制御機構を備えたモジュラー跳躍脚ロボット
Tethered Variable Inertial Attitude Control Mechanisms through a Modular Jumping Limbed Robot
低重力環境での惑星探査に向け、2台の四足ロボットをテザーで繋ぎ、脚とテザー長を調整して慣性モーメントを変化させることで跳躍中の姿勢を安定化させる手法を提案した。
著者: Yusuke Tanaka, Alvin Zhu, Dennis Hong
分類: cs.RO
原文アブストラクト
This paper presents the concept of a tethered variable inertial attitude control mechanism for a modular jumping-limbed robot designed for planetary exploration in low-gravity environments. The system, named SPLITTER, comprises two sub-10 kg quadrupedal robots connected by a tether, capable of executing successive jumping gaits and stabilizing in-flight using inertial morphing technology. Through model predictive control (MPC), attitude control was demonstrated by adjusting the limbs and tether length to modulate the system's principal moments of inertia. Our results indicate that this control strategy allows the robot to stabilize during flight phases without needing traditional flywheel-based systems or relying on aerodynamics, making the approach mass-efficient and ideal for small-scale planetary robots' successive jumps. The paper outlines the dynamics, MPC formulation for inertial morphing, actuator requirements, and simulation results, illustrating the potential of agile exploration for small-scale rovers in low-gravity environments like the Moon or asteroids.
