A Distributed Predictive Control Approach for Cooperative Manipulation of Multiple Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems

This paper addresses the problem of cooperative object transportation for multiple Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems (UVMSs) in a constrained workspace involving static obstacles. We propose a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) approach for a team of UVMSs in order to transport an object while avoiding significant constraints and limitations such as: kinematic and representation singularities, obstacles within the workspace, joint limits and control input saturations. More precisely, by exploiting the coupled dynamics between the robots and the object, and using certain load sharing coefficients, we design a distributed NMPC for each UVMS in order to cooperatively transport the object within the workspace’s feasible region. Moreover, the control scheme adopts load sharing among the UVMSs according to their specific payload capabilities. Additionally, the feedback relies on each UVMS’s locally measurements and no explicit data is exchanged online among the robots, thus reducing the required communication bandwidth. Finally, real-time simulation results conducted in UwSim dynamic simulator running in ROS environment verify the efficiency of the theoretical finding.

[1]  Pere Ridao,et al.  Grasping for the Seabed: Developing a New Underwater Robot Arm for Shallow-Water Intervention , 2013, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine.

[2]  Andreas Birk,et al.  Dexrov: Dexterous undersea inspection and maintenance in presence of communication latencies , 2015 .

[3]  Giuseppe Casalino,et al.  On autonomous cooperative Underwater Floating Manipulation Systems , 2015, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

[4]  Kostas J. Kyriakopoulos,et al.  A self-triggered Model Predictive Control framework for the cooperation of distributed nonholonomic agents , 2013, 52nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control.

[5]  Giuseppe Casalino,et al.  Floating Underwater Manipulation: Developed Control Methodology and Experimental Validation within the TRIDENT Project , 2014, J. Field Robotics.

[6]  Benedetto Allotta,et al.  An innovative decentralized strategy for I-AUVs cooperative manipulation tasks , 2015, Robotics Auton. Syst..

[7]  Charalampos P. Bechlioulis,et al.  Decentralized Impedance Control for Cooperative Manipulation of Multiple Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems under Lean Communication , 2018, 2018 IEEE/OES Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Workshop (AUV).

[8]  Gabriel Oliver,et al.  Intervention AUVs: The next challenge , 2015, Annu. Rev. Control..

[9]  Pedro J. Sanz,et al.  An open source tool for simulation and supervision of underwater intervention missions , 2012, 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[10]  Kostas J. Kyriakopoulos,et al.  Robustness analysis of model predictive control for constrained Image-Based Visual Servoing , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

[11]  Kostas J. Kyriakopoulos,et al.  A Model Predictive Control Approach for Vision-Based Object Grasping via Mobile Manipulator , 2018, 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS).

[12]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  A Robust Force Control Approach for Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems , 2016 .

[13]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  Self-triggered Model Predictive Control for nonholonomic systems , 2013, 2013 European Control Conference (ECC).

[14]  Stanley A. Schneider,et al.  Object impedance control for cooperative manipulation: theory and experimental results , 1989, Proceedings, 1989 International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

[15]  Panos Marantos,et al.  A Robust Predictive Control Approach for Underwater Robotic Vehicles , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology.

[16]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  A Nonlinear Model Predictive Control scheme for cooperative manipulation with singularity and collision avoidance , 2017, 2017 25th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED).

[17]  Shahabodin Heshmati Alamdari,et al.  Cooperative and interaction control for underwater robotic vehicles , 2018 .

[18]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  Decentralized abstractions and timed constrained planning of a general class of coupled multi-agent systems , 2017, 2017 IEEE 56th Annual Conference on Decision and Control (CDC).

[19]  Marco A. Arteaga,et al.  Control of cooperative robots without velocity measurements , 2002, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[20]  G. Oriolo,et al.  Robotics: Modelling, Planning and Control , 2008 .

[21]  D. Koditschek,et al.  Robot navigation functions on manifolds with boundary , 1990 .

[22]  Charalampos P. Bechlioulis,et al.  Cooperative Impedance Control for Multiple Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems Under Lean Communication , 2021, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering.

[23]  Giuseppe Casalino,et al.  On cooperation between autonomous underwater floating manipulation systems , 2015, 2015 IEEE Underwater Technology (UT).

[24]  Panos Marantos,et al.  A Robust Model Predictive Control Approach for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Operating in a Constrained Workspace , 2017, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

[25]  Rocco Furferi,et al.  Optimization of potential field method parameters through networks for swarm cooperative manipulation tasks , 2016 .

[26]  Morgan Quigley,et al.  ROS: an open-source Robot Operating System , 2009, ICRA 2009.

[27]  Giuseppe Casalino,et al.  Cooperation between autonomous underwater vehicle manipulations systems with minimal information exchange , 2015, OCEANS 2015 - Genova.

[28]  Pasquale Chiacchio,et al.  Task-space regulation of cooperative manipulators , 2000, Autom..

[29]  Marc Carreras,et al.  An Intervention-AUV learns how to perform an underwater valve turning , 2014, OCEANS 2014 - TAIPEI.

[30]  Yoo Sang Choo,et al.  Leader-follower formation control of underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles , 2010 .

[31]  Daniel J. Stilwell,et al.  A framework for decentralized control of autonomous vehicles , 2000, Proceedings 2000 ICRA. Millennium Conference. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Symposia Proceedings (Cat. No.00CH37065).

[32]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  A robust interaction control approach for underwater vehicle manipulator systems , 2018, Annu. Rev. Control..

[33]  S. Ali A. Moosavian,et al.  Multiple Impedance Control for object manipulation by a dual arm underwater vehicle–manipulator system , 2014 .

[34]  Gabriel Oliver,et al.  Reconfigurable AUV for intervention missions: a case study on underwater object recovery , 2012, Intell. Serv. Robotics.

[35]  S. Ali A. Moosavian,et al.  Multiple impedance control for object manipulation , 1998, Proceedings. 1998 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Innovations in Theory, Practice and Applications (Cat. No.98CH36190).

[36]  Pere Ridao,et al.  I-AUV Mechatronics Integration for the TRIDENT FP7 Project , 2015, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[37]  Panos Marantos,et al.  Unsupervised Online System Identification for Underwater Robotic Vehicles , 2019, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering.

[38]  Junku Yuh,et al.  Underwater autonomous manipulation for intervention missions AUVs , 2009 .

[39]  F. Allgöwer,et al.  Nonlinear Model Predictive Control: From Theory to Application , 2004 .

[40]  S. Ali A. Moosavian,et al.  Cooperative object manipulation with contact impact using multiple impedance control , 2010 .

[41]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  Communication-based Decentralized Cooperative Object Transportation Using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control , 2018, 2018 European Control Conference (ECC).

[42]  Charalampos P. Bechlioulis,et al.  Trajectory Tracking With Prescribed Performance for Underactuated Underwater Vehicles Under Model Uncertainties and External Disturbances , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology.

[43]  Giuseppe Casalino,et al.  Manipulation and Transportation With Cooperative Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems , 2017, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering.

[44]  Dimos V. Dimarogonas,et al.  A self-triggered visual servoing model predictive control scheme for under-actuated underwater robotic vehicles , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

[45]  Kostas J. Kyriakopoulos,et al.  A robust self triggered Image Based Visual Servoing Model Predictive Control scheme for small autonomous robots , 2015, 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS).

[46]  Junku Yuh,et al.  Underwater Robots , 2012, Springer Handbook of Robotics, 2nd Ed..