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Autores principales: Wade, James, Weaver, Isaac, Stanciu, Mihai, Usevitch, Nathan
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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Acceso en línea:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.20561
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author Wade, James
Weaver, Isaac
Stanciu, Mihai
Usevitch, Nathan
author_facet Wade, James
Weaver, Isaac
Stanciu, Mihai
Usevitch, Nathan
contents Isoperimetric robotic trusses can adapt to different tasks and environments because they have a high strength-to-weight ratio, can change their own shape dramatically, and can be reconfigured into a variety of different shapes. However, motor failures in operational environments can severely limit operational capabilities if not properly addressed. This paper presents a fault-tolerant control framework for an inflatable robotic truss that maintains functionality despite motor failures, shown through three key contributions. First, we extend the kinematic optimization to handle arbitrary combinations of motor failures by imposing equality constraints to ensure failed actuators are not used. Second, we introduce discrete-time control barrier function (DTCBF) constraints that mathematically guarantee structural rigidity while maximizing workspace utilization, a critical requirement for reliable operation of truss robots under discrete-time control. Third, we implement closed-loop position control using onboard encoder feedback and a forward kinematics-based state estimator, improving positional accuracy in the presence of disturbances. We validate our approach through simulation and hardware experiments on a 2D isoperimetric truss testbed. For a 2D configuration with 6 actuators, we demonstrate >69% workspace preservation under single-motor failures and a >25% improvement in tracking accuracy with closed-loop control. These results establish a foundation for more robust and resilient isoperimetric truss robots operating under degraded actuation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_20561
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fault-Tolerant, Rigidity-Preserving Control of Inflatable Truss Robots
Wade, James
Weaver, Isaac
Stanciu, Mihai
Usevitch, Nathan
Robotics
Isoperimetric robotic trusses can adapt to different tasks and environments because they have a high strength-to-weight ratio, can change their own shape dramatically, and can be reconfigured into a variety of different shapes. However, motor failures in operational environments can severely limit operational capabilities if not properly addressed. This paper presents a fault-tolerant control framework for an inflatable robotic truss that maintains functionality despite motor failures, shown through three key contributions. First, we extend the kinematic optimization to handle arbitrary combinations of motor failures by imposing equality constraints to ensure failed actuators are not used. Second, we introduce discrete-time control barrier function (DTCBF) constraints that mathematically guarantee structural rigidity while maximizing workspace utilization, a critical requirement for reliable operation of truss robots under discrete-time control. Third, we implement closed-loop position control using onboard encoder feedback and a forward kinematics-based state estimator, improving positional accuracy in the presence of disturbances. We validate our approach through simulation and hardware experiments on a 2D isoperimetric truss testbed. For a 2D configuration with 6 actuators, we demonstrate >69% workspace preservation under single-motor failures and a >25% improvement in tracking accuracy with closed-loop control. These results establish a foundation for more robust and resilient isoperimetric truss robots operating under degraded actuation.
title Fault-Tolerant, Rigidity-Preserving Control of Inflatable Truss Robots
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.20561