Kinematic control of free rigid bodies using dual quaternions

This paper proposes a new type of control laws for free rigid bodies. The start point is the dual quaternion and its characteristics. The logarithm of a dual quaternion is defined, based on which kinematic control laws can be developed. Global exponential convergence is achieved using logarithmic feedback via a generalized proportional control law, and an appropriate Lyapunov function is constructed to prove the stability. Both the regulation and tracking problems are tackled. Omnidirectional control is discussed as a case study. As the control laws can handle the interconnection between the rotation and translation of a rigid body, they are shown to be more applicable than the conventional method.