No Arabic abstract
This paper illustrates the application of recent research in region-of-attraction analysis for nonlinear hybrid limit cycles. Three example systems are analyzed in detail: the van der Pol oscillator, the rimless wheel, and the compass gait, the latter two being simplified models of underactuated walking robots. The method used involves decomposition of the dynamics about the target cycle into tangential and transverse components, and a search for a Lyapunov function in the transverse dynamics using sum-of-squares analysis (semidefinite programming). Each example illuminates different aspects of the procedure, including optimization of transversal surfaces, the handling of impact maps, optimization of the Lyapunov function, and orbitally-stabilizing control design.
This paper considers the problem of attitude, position and linear velocity estimation for rigid body systems relying on landmark measurements. We propose two hybrid nonlinear observers on the matrix Lie group $SE_2(3)$, leading to global exponential stability. The first observer relies on fixed gains, while the second one uses variable gains depending on the solution of a continuous Riccati equation (CRE). These observers are then extended to handle biased angular velocity measurements. Both simulation and experimental results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed observers.
We introduce a new hybrid control strategy, which is conceptually different from the commonly used synergistic hybrid approaches, to efficiently deal with the problem of the undesired equilibria that precludes smooth vectors fields on $SO(3)$ from achieving global stability. The key idea consists in constructing a suitable potential function on $SO(3)times mathbb{R}$ involving an auxiliary scalar variable, with flow and jump dynamics, which keeps the state away from the undesired critical points while, at the same time, guarantees a decrease of the potential function over the flows and jumps. Based on this new hybrid mechanism, a hybrid feedback control scheme for the attitude tracking problem on $SO(3)$, endowed with global asymptotic stability and semi-global exponential stability guarantees, is proposed. This control scheme is further improved through a smoothing mechanism that removes the discontinuities in the input torque. The third hybrid control scheme, proposed in this paper, removes the requirement of the angular velocity measurements, while preserving the strong stability guarantees of the first hybrid control scheme. This approach has also been applied to the tracking problem on $SE(3)$ to illustrate its advantages with respect to the existing synergistic hybrid approaches. Finally, some simulation results are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed hybrid controllers.
Stable bipedal walking is a key prerequisite for humanoid robots to reach their potential of being versatile helpers in our everyday environments. Bipedal walking is, however, a complex motion that requires the coordination of many degrees of freedom while it is also inherently unstable and sensitive to disturbances. The balance of a walking biped has to be constantly maintained. The most effective way of controlling balance are well timed and placed recovery steps -- capture steps -- that absorb the expense momentum gained from a push or a stumble. We present a bipedal gait generation framework that utilizes step timing and foot placement techniques in order to recover the balance of a biped even after strong disturbances. Our framework modifies the next footstep location instantly when responding to a disturbance and generates controllable omnidirectional walking using only very little sensing and computational power. We exploit the open-loop stability of a central pattern generated gait to fit a linear inverted pendulum model to the observed center of mass trajectory. Then, we use the fitted model to predict suitable footstep locations and timings in order to maintain balance while following a target walking velocity. Our experiments show qualitative and statistical evidence of one of the strongest push-recovery capabilities among humanoid robots to date.
In this paper, we characterize the performance of and develop thermal management solutions for a DC motor-driven resonant actuator developed for flapping wing micro air vehicles. The actuator, a DC micro-gearmotor connected in parallel with a torsional spring, drives reciprocal wing motion. Compared to the gearmotor alone, this design increased torque and power density by 161.1% and 666.8%, respectively, while decreasing the drawn current by 25.8%. Characterization of the actuator, isolated from nonlinear aerodynamic loading, results in standard metrics directly comparable to other actuators. The micro-motor, selected for low weight considerations, operates at high power for limited duration due to thermal effects. To predict system performance, a lumped parameter thermal circuit model was developed. Critical model parameters for this micro-motor, two orders of magnitude smaller than those previously characterized, were identified experimentally. This included the effects of variable winding resistance, bushing friction, speed-dependent forced convection, and the addition of a heatsink. The model was then used to determine a safe operation envelope for the vehicle and to design a weight-optimal heatsink. This actuator design and thermal modeling approach could be applied more generally to improve the performance of any miniature mobile robot or device with motor-driven oscillating limbs or loads.
The battery is a key component of autonomous robots. Its performance limits the robots safety and reliability. Unlike liquid-fuel, a battery, as a chemical device, exhibits complicated features, including (i) capacity fade over successive recharges and (ii) increasing discharge rate as the state of charge (SOC) goes down for a given power demand. Existing formal verification studies of autonomous robots, when considering energy constraints, formalise the energy component in a generic manner such that the battery features are overlooked. In this paper, we model an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection mission on a wind farm and via probabilistic model checking in PRISM show (i) how the battery features may affect the verification results significantly in practical cases; and (ii) how the battery features, together with dynamic environments and battery safety strategies, jointly affect the verification results. Potential solutions to explicitly integrate battery prognostics and health management (PHM) with formal verification of autonomous robots are also discussed to motivate future work.