Tethered Variable Inertial Attitude Control Mechanisms through a Modular Jumping Limbed Robot

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Tanaka, Yusuke, Zhu, Alvin, Hong, Dennis
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Tanaka, Yusuke
Zhu, Alvin
Hong, Dennis
author_facet Tanaka, Yusuke
Zhu, Alvin
Hong, Dennis
contents 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.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_10156
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Tethered Variable Inertial Attitude Control Mechanisms through a Modular Jumping Limbed Robot
Tanaka, Yusuke
Zhu, Alvin
Hong, Dennis
Robotics
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.
title Tethered Variable Inertial Attitude Control Mechanisms through a Modular Jumping Limbed Robot
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.10156